Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux
by McManus D. Ninja
Summary: On the night before his fifth birthday, Naruto and Kakashi find messages from his parents hidden in the Hokage's office. This will lead Naruto down a path that will not only make him one of the most mysterious ninjas in the world but also one of the most powerful. The path of the Mercenary. Rated M for Violence, Gore, Language, and possibly lemons.
1. The Answer Lies Within

**Hey everyone, and welcome to the first chapter of Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux! I've taken a long, LONG, _LONG_ , hiatus from writing. But I'm back and I have a lot of drive to start writing again. I decided to start by reworking my first story. I hope you all enjoy the start of what I hope to be a long and really fun story.  
**

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"Talking"  
 **"Bijuu  
"Talking"  
**' _Thinking'  
_ _ **'Bijuu Thinking'  
**_ _"Writing"_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Trust me. Neither of us would want that.**

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 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux  
**

 **Chapter 1: The Answer Lies Within**

October 9th, Hokage's Office

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, stood by the large window in his office as he took a break before he started to defeat the ever growing mountain of paperwork upon his desk. He stared out his window across the village of Konohagakure. He could see the village had been decorated for the upcoming festivities. The elderly village leader brought his favorite pipe to his lips and inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill his lungs as he thought about the fateful and tragic night that they were commemorating.

 _'Five years. Five years since that terrible day.'_

That was when the great demon known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village, bringing chaos and death in its wake. The great beast destroyed a large section of the city in a tragedy unlike the village had ever experienced before. Many lost their lives, including his own wife. In order to stop the beast and save the village, the Yondaime had to make two of the greatest sacrifices. Not only did he sacrifice his own life to defeat the beast, but he was forced to seal the demon into a newborn baby.

' _Sometimes I wish you had let that beast run loose Minato. It certainly would have spared him so much pain.'_ The Hokage thought to himself with a heavy hearted sigh as he wondered where the child was at this very moment.

The boy in question was one Uzumaki Naruto. By all outward appearances he was just a normal 4, almost 5 year old boy. He seemed to have a smile on his face nearly 24/7 and he played many pranks on people. However, behind closed doors it was a very different story, especially around his birthday. For where most children would have a celebration with their friends and loved ones around, his were filled with loneliness and heartache. It was only last year on his 4th birthday that he was ejected from the orphanage he had called home his whole life. The Hokage quickly found him a place where he could live on his own, with constant supervision of course, he was still only a child. Naruto was sitting in his minuscule apartment talking to one of his caretakers, and one of the few people he trusted in the entire world. Sitting in his kitchen was a tall man dressed in the standard ANBU uniform with a red mark on his left arm to signify that he was Captain Status. On his face was a white mask in the shape of a dog

"Say, Inu-nii, is there any chance that I could spend my birthday with you?"

Hatake Kakashi smiled sadly underneath his mask. He loved Naruto like a little brother. He'd tried so hard to adopt the boy when he was a baby, but as the boy was an orphan with no known parents, Naruto's guardianship was controlled by the civilian council, who time and again denied him from adopting the young blonde. So the young ANBU captain had to settle for being his protector and older brother figure.

"I'm sorry Otouto. But that's not up to me."

Naruto stared at his older brother with a confused look. "Why not? Do you live with someone who doesn't like company?"

Kakashi chuckled at the young boy's innocence.

"No Naruto. It's because I'm part of the ANBU and our identities are supposed to stay secret."

The ANBU suddenly felt his young friend's arms wrap around his waist as he looked down into Naruto's cerulean eyes. Kakashi's heart sank as he could see the tears welling up in Naruto's eyes.

"Please don't leave me alone Inu-nii. I'm scared of what they're going to do to me."

Kakashi knelt and hugged him tightly as he cried into his shoulder.

"Naruto, I'm not going to leave you alone. Don't worry, I've got someone to watch over you tomorrow. He's one of our best new recruits. I promise he'll keep you safe."

"Why do they hate me so much Aniki? What did I do to make them so angry at me?"

Kakashi felt his own tears starting to form beneath his mask. It was insane that the village that his sensei and the woman he saw like a mother both loved so much that he gave their lives for how the village would treat his surrogate little brother so cruelly. He sometimes wondered who the real monster was in the world, the Kyuubi or the villagers.

"Naruto, you've done nothing wrong. You are a great kid and my otouto. There is nothing wrong with you. Say, you know what? I think you might be able to stay with me tomorrow night."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up and his face filled with joy. Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Really. We just need to tell Hokage-sama about it first, okay?"

Naruto jumped to his feet and smiled a genuine smile at the prospect of staying with his surrogate big brother during the most dangerous, at least for him, time of the year.

"Alright! Let's go! Can I piggy back with you this time? The lady at the front desk always gives me mean looks."

Kakashi chuckled. About 3 months ago they'd devised a system of letting Naruto travel without having people glare at him all the time. Kakashi would cast a genjutsu over the boy and give him a piggy back ride. The genjustu would give the illusion to all who saw the silver haired ANBU Captain, that he was merely wearing a supply backpack, a normal sight in a village full of ninja coming and going from missions out of the village.

"Sure thing Naruto." Kakashi did several hand signs and picked up Naruto onto his back as he headed out the window and towards the Hokage Tower. Naruto held on tightly as his older brother headed at high speeds toward the office of the man he considered a grandfather.

Kakashi made his way to the Hokage's office where he was stopped by the secretary.

"I'm sorry the Hokage's not in right now. There was a council meeting he had to attend."

"That's fine. I'll just wait inside."

Kakashi didn't wait for her to respond as he went inside and set Naruto down on the couch in Hiruzen's office as he dispelled the genjutsu. Naurto smiled as he sat on the couch.

"I'm really excited! I can't believe that I'm going to be spending my birthday with you, Inu-nii! It's going to be great!" Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle, he had to admit, he was kind of excited too. He'd never really been invited to anyone's birthday growing up and he and his father always celebrated his with a special trip out of the village. So this would be a first for the both of them.

"Yeah, but remember Naruto, the Hokage has to give you permission to stay with me first. Who knows, he might have something planned for your birthday and wants to keep it a surprise."

Kakashi raised a brow as Naruto's eyes filled with excitement as he started to wander around the office with a determined look on his face.

"What are you doing Naruto?"

"I'm looking for my birthday present! Like you said, Jiji might have something planned for my birthday and he probably hid the present in his office foe safe keeping! I'm sure if it!"

The silver haired ANBU snickered at his little brother's innocence. "Well, I think he has a secret safe behind one of the Kage portraits."

Naruto's eyes lit up as he pulled one of the chairs over and stood on it so he could reach the portrait of the Yondaime. When he tried to pull it off the wall, he cut his finger on one the sides of the frame.

"Otouto, I was just kidding. Hokage-sama doesn't really have-"

He was cut off as Naruto's blood activated a hidden seal on the portrait. The picture began to glow and dozens of kanji and seals appeared before the picture swung open to reveal a secret indent in the wall that held two scrolls. Both of them bore the same name on the seal. _"For Naruto"_

"I told you he had my present around here nii-san!"

"Naruto I don't think that's -" The young boy was so excited he grabbed one of them. His thumb brushed against the scroll seal and it unraveled in his hand. Naruto began to read it aloud, however it shortly became clear to both Naruto and Kakashi that Naruto wasn't meant to find these scrolls, at least not yet.

The first scroll read:

" _Dear Naruto,_

 _If you're reading this either one of two things has happened. Either you have reached the rank of Jounin as planned, in which case congratulations! Or, and let's be honest given me and Kushi-chan's history is the more likely, you were just messing around in the office and happened to activate the blood seal on my picture and the scrolls. But that isn't important now. What is important is you, Naruto. I wish I could have been there for you and taught you all of this myself, but unfortunately life can be cruel to us. Sometimes we have to make decisions that hurt us and those we love most. I had to make that decision tonight and I forced this fate on you. Given how most people in your situation are treated, I pray that the old man will keep what has happened a secret. However, I don't feel like he will. I'm so sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for everything that, through my actions, has happened to you. But despite all the pain and heartache, please know that your mother and I love you with all of our hearts. Inside this scroll are sealed the tools and knowledge on how to learn and master two of my own original jutsu, the Rasengan and the Hiraishin, as well as my signature taijutsu style, Hummingbird Style. Be strong for us Naruto, and become the great man we know you were born to be._

 _Love Your Father,  
Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage"_

The young jinchuuriki's eyes were full of tears as he read his father's words.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this Inu-nii? And what was he talking about? What did he do that Jiji was supposed to keep a secret?" He looked at Kakashi and managed to say in between sniffs and tears. Kakashi was in shock from hearing that his little brother was in fact his sensei's son. However his heart sank as he heard Naruto's question. He didn't have the heart to tell him, so he said the only thing he could.

"Naruto… I think you may want to read the other scroll first. It may have the answers you want." Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes as he opened the scroll with shaky hands and began to read.

" _To my sweet boy,_

 _I love you so much Naruto. Words cannot describe how much it hurts not to hold you in my arms and shower you with all the love you deserve. Love that I know deep in my heart that you have not gotten. I know that you had to carry my burden because I was too weak to hold it when it mattered most. I'm sure Minato-kun didn't introduce himself to you properly, so I might as well. My name is Kushina Namikaze-Uzumaki, and as you may have guessed, I am your mother. Now I have the unfortunate task of telling you what is going to be painful but has to be told to you. You are a jinchuuriki, Naruto. Today on the day of your birth, a day that was supposed to be the happiest in our lives, the Kyuubi was released from its prison and wreaked havoc on our village. Minato-kun is now preparing to do something that unfortunately has caused you the pain you have experienced your whole life. In order to save the village, your father sealed the Kyuubi into you. No, this does not mean you are the Kyuubi. You are merely its jailer. As for why he couldn't seal it back into its old prison. The answer is simple. I'm dying. Yes, I was the Kyuubi's previous jinchuuriki. It is a burden that was passed onto me and now, has been thrust upon you. Fortunately for me, my status as a jinchuuriki was kept a secret from everyone and I was able to live a normal life._

 _You on the other hand, I fear may not be so lucky. Perhaps Oji-san's intentions were good. But if he did let the knowledge of your jinchuuriki status known, then your life has been filled with unnecessary pain and hatred. I can't even begin to make up for all of this. But I hope that one day you can forgive us. However there is only one thing I ask you to do. Grow strong Naruto. Train hard, grow strong and leave. Leave and find the love you truly deserve. However, this is still your home as much as it is mine and your father's. So I ask you not to hold any ill will towards toward those who are too stupid to realize the difference between a sword and the scroll it's sealed in._ _So find either Minato's sensei Jaraiya of the Sannin, and please do your mother a favor, make his life hell for me. Be sure to call him Ero-Sennin and kick his ass for peeping on me in the hot springs. Or your father's student Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi will be easier to find. Show either of them this scroll and they will help you in your mission. They owe you at least that much._

 _I've sealed inside this scroll my swords, Fuchinashi and Fukutsu no En, as well as the katas to learn the kenjutsu style that made Uzushiogakure a force to be reckoned with and helped me earn the name of Konoha's Red Death with our enemies. It is a difficult style to master on your own. I believe you should learn to be competently proficient with Fuchinashi on your own, however you'll need to seek out a master swordsman on your journey to help you learn how to wield Fukutsu no En and master kenjutsu. Show them my sword and they'll know you're my son. I also sealed in the scroll the key to the Namikaze-Uzumaki vault in our clan compound. Take your inheritance with you, and I don't just mean our money. You are an Uzumaki, probably one of the last after Uzushiogakure's destruction. In our home are the countless books on Uzumaki fuinjutsu, it's our legacy and what makes us truly special. I'm sure Minato-kun gave you his signature techniques as well._

 _Go my dear Naruto. Become stronger that either of your parents and always remember, no matter what happens, we love you and are proud to call you our son._

 _Your Mother,_

 _Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina, Konoha's Red-Hot Habanero"_

As Naruto set the scroll down, the dam holding his tears in broke as he began to sob. Kakashi went to his little brother and hugged him as he cried. After several long minutes Naruto looked up at the ANBU he'd come to call brother.

"Inu-nii… Will you please help me look for my father's student Kakashi? I want to make my parents proud." Kakashi smiled sadly. He wiped a tear from under his mask as he knelt down and put his hand on the young blonde's shoulder

"That won't be necessary Naruto." Naruto's tears of joy and sadness turned aggressive as he began to cry harder, punching the ANBU Captain again and again on his armored chest.

"Why not?! Didn't you hear what my kaa-san wanted? I need to find him!" Kakashi gently grabbed Natruto's hands and held them. He looked into the eyes of his younger brother and saw how much he looked like his parents. It brought several tears to his eye.

"Naruto calm down. You don't need to go looking for Kakashi." The silver haired man removed his ANBU mask to reveal his face. Or at least what wasn't covered by his other mask. He gave Naruto his patented eye smile.

"Because I'm right here, Otouto." He wrapped his arms around the boy as he cried with happiness now.

 _Hokage Monument, One Hour Later_

Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto sat on the Yondaime's head atop the Hokage monument. The brothers in all but blood tried to take in what had happened. Naruto wore the ANBU mask that the silver-haired man had taken off atop his head. He held tightly in his hands, the messages from his parents. He was both excited and saddened by what he learned in the Hokage's office. He was excited by the fact that not only were his parents two of the most powerful ninja in history. But he also got confirmation of every orphan's fantasy, that he had parents who loved him and truly wanted him. However, he was upset about all the secrets kept from him. Why didn't the Hokage tell him who his parents were, why they weren't around for him, and why everyone hated him so much? He looked at his big brother. He too was staring out into the village. Kakashi on the other hand, was having similar thoughts of his own.

' _How could I be so stupid!? How could I have not noticed how much he looks like sensei. I_ knew _something was fishy when Hokage-sama told me he had died with his parents!'_

Kakashi turned to his little brother and eye smiled. It was nice to be with the young boy. Not as Inu, the ANBU who protected him out of duty, but as Hatake Kakashi, his father's ex-student and his older brother. Naruto smiled back before getting a curious look on his face.

"Nii-san, you knew my parents well didn't you."

"Yes I did, Naruto. I knew them very well."

"Can… Can you tell me a bit about them?"

Naruto paid close attention as Kakashi rubbed his chin as he thought about what he should tell the boy.

"Well, in the field, your father was every bit the shinobi you'd read about in the history books. He was smart, calculating, and one of the greatest men to ever walk the battlefield. He was very serious about protecting his village and those around him. But when he was here in Konoha, he was almost an entirely different person. He would smile a lot, crack jokes, work on seals for various uses, and occasionally ask a random question that popped into his head."

"So when he was working he was serious, but when he wasn't he was kind of an idiot." Kakashi chuckled a bit at his brother's bluntness.

"Kind of. He was always very smart. He just was very relaxed when off duty and he sometimes just let out a random thought. He had a tendency to think out loud."

 **~Flashback no Justu~**

 _A young Kakashi was sparring with his teammate, Uchiha Obito, in Training Ground 7 while their other teammate, Rin, was reading her scrolls on Iryojustu. Their sensei was sitting on a log, watching the match with intense concentration. Kakashi landed a particularly hard hit to Obito's stomach, knocking the breath out of him and forcing him to the ground._

" _You're weak Obito. Your form is nearly non-existent, you can barely hit me, and when you do it feels like a light slap rather than a punch. Sometimes I wonder if you're even an Uchiha. I'm serious. Rin fights better than you and she's a medic!"_

 _Rin got up and slapped Kakashi hard across the face._

" _Stop it! Obito is trying very hard. You're a skilled ninja Kakashi, but you're a terrible teammate. Instead of berating him all the time, why don't you try_ helping _him for a change?"_

" _Yeah. You_ obviously _know so much better than I do. Why not enlighten me?" Obito angrily wheezed as he got to his feet, still catching his breath._

" _That's not my job. It's Minato-sensei's. Right sensei? ...sensei?" Kakashi turned to their sensei, who seemed to be still watching them. That is until he spoke._

 _"Who do you think was the first person to try honey?"_

" _Huh?" The gennin squad collectively exclaimed as they saw what their sensei had been examining so intently the past few minutes was not in fact the match between his students. But had yet again had his train of thought derailed and then land on a track leading in a completely different direction as he intently studied a honey candy.  
_

" _I mean think about it. What person was the guy who looked at a beehive and said to themselves, 'Those bastards are hiding something delicious in there and I know it._ _"_

 _The gennin face-faulted. Instead of training them, their sensei just spent the past five minutes intently pondering the intricacies of_ fucking honey _. The blonde kage popped the small candy in his mouth, stood up, and walked over to his students._

" _You're right though. It is my job to train you. However Rin is also correct. You're only as strong as the person fighting beside you. It's your job as a teammate to make sure that you are all working together. Do you understand?"_

 _Kakashi bowed his head. "Hai sensei."_

 _Minato smiled brightly. "Good. Now I think it's time we called it a day. I have to meet someone for ramen."_

 **~Kai~**

Naruto laughed at the story.

"Tou-san really was funny wasn't he nii-san?"

"Yeah, but he always was aware of what was going on around him. He may have been focused on a task or some random thing, but he was always mindful of his surroundings. There was only one thing that could capture Minato-sensei's full and complete attention."

Naruto looked quizzical. "What was that?"

Kakashi eye-smiled brightly. "Your mother, Naruto. Kushina-san was the only one in the entire world that would hold sensei's attention indefinitely. She was one of the most beautiful women in the world. She was also a great fighter. I can see quite a bit of her in you, Otouto. She was always so straight forward with everyone. Sometimes that wasn't always a good thing, but she always fought for what she believed in. She also had one _hell_ of a temper. If you made her angry and you weren't Minato-sensei, you had one option. Run. Run and hope she didn't catch up. She also shared your love of ramen. I think that's one of the reasons why she named you Naruto."

The silver-haired man let out a sad sigh. "They would be so proud of you Naruto."

Naruto looked up at Kakashi with a sad smile. He could see how much his brother missed them. He looked Kakashi in the eye and asked him the other question that was on his mind.

"Aniki, can you help me fulfill my Kaa-san's request? Can you help me get strong enough to leave like she asked?"

Kakashi's eye widened. Did Naruto really want to leave that badly?

"Naruto, I… I don't think I can answer that question right now. It's a serious request and I need some time to think about it. Okay?"

Naruto smiled sadly as he nodded in understanding. Kakashi looked at the sky as the sun was very nearly set.

"Come on Naruto. You should get home. You've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah! Let's go!" Naruto hopped onto Kakashi's back as they made their way to Naruto's apartment.

 _The Next Day_

Kakashi was sitting in his apartment waiting for Naruto to arrive. He gave Naruto the address last night and told him to come by right after dinner. The silver haired ANBU captain had spent the entire day cleaning his messy apartment as well as hiding his collection of certain orange books not meant for five year old eyes. He even managed to buy and wrap a present for Naruto. He bought his little brother a set of training kunai and a bokken made for him.

As he anticipated his younger brother's arrival, the question he asked him the night before rang in his mind as he racked his brain to find an answer.

' _Can I really do it? Can actually help him abandon the village? I mean, I was planning on becoming his jounin sensei when he graduated. But this is crazy. If I let him leave once he becomes a ninja, then he'll be labeled as a missing-nin and marked a traitor. He'll have squads of ANBU sent to find him and kill him. If I don't train him he may just leave without training and get killed anyway. AHHH! What should I do?'_

Kakashi was interrupted from his thoughts by a frantic knocking on his door. He rushed over with a large eye smile, expecting to see his little brother. His smile quickly faded as he saw on the other side of the door wasn't Naruto but two ANBU, a woman wearing a cat mask and a man with a bear mask. The man spoke in a respectful tone.

"Senpai, there's been an incident in the village tonight. It's really serious. Naruto's been attac-"

Tenzou didn't even finish his sentence as she was interrupted by Kakashi barging out the door at breakneck speeds without his mask. As they watch him go, Neko noticed tears in his eye as she looked at her partner.

"Kami help the poor bastard who was supposed to be on watch tonight."

 _Konoha Hospital_

Kakashi burst into the hospital room as he saw Naruto on a bed. He was covered in multiple bloody bandages all across his tiny body as he was hooked up to several machines. Kakashi fell to his knees beside the bed and began to weep uncontrollably. This was the scene Neko and Tenzou walked into. Neko walked over to her captain and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"He was headed in the direction of your apartment. He was spotted and chased by a drunken mob of villagers. They cornered him in an alleyway. It had been nearly five minutes when we came across the scene. Kakashi, there's more. There... There were ninja in the crowd."

"What happened to Taka? He was on duty tonight. He was supposed to be watching him." Kakashi choked out.

"He reported in for duty but hasn't given his hourly check in yet, sir." Tenzou said.

Suddenly the entire room was flooded with killing intent as Kakashi stood up. Neko and Tenzou could feel their blood chill as the usually relaxed and level headed Captain became enraged.

"Find. Him. And bring him to me… _**NOW**_!"

"Hai!" Both Neko and Tenzou saluted as the raced out to find the ANBU known as Taka. They returned several minutes later with a man in the standard ANBU uniform, a mask bearing the likeness of a hawk on his face.

"Taka! Where have you been? You were supposed to be on duty making sure Naruto was safe." Kakashi asked angrily. He shook his head as he could clearly smell a bit of alcohol on his breath, even through the mask.

"The kid's fine. He went to eat tat that ramen place. He always stays there for over an hour eating. So I took some well-deserved time off to enjoy the festivities for a few minutes. So what? I mean how much trouble could he get into eatin-... Oh shit." The man's calm demeanor and indignant attitude dropped as Kakashi side stepped to reveal the boy he was supposed to be guarding in the hospital bed. His blood froze as he felt a gargantuan wave of killing intent hit him. Not only sobering him up but also making him piss his pants in fear as Kakashi grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall, lifting him up by one arm.

"YOU ABANDONED YOUR POST TO GET DRUNK AND NOT ONLY THAT! YOU LEFT A FIVE YEAR OLD BOY UNPROTECTED TO GET MERCILESSLY BEATEN TO NEAR DEATH! NOW HE MAY DIE BECAUSE OF YOUR INCOMPETENCE AND NEGLECTFUL BEHAVIOR!" Kakashi smirked beneath his mask.

"You've abandoned your duty and willfully defied orders given by your superiors, Taka." All of the color drained from the man's face as he squirmed and begged for his life. Kakashi tossed him to Tenzou and Neko who held him in place.

"Take him to I&T. I'm sure Ibiki would love to have a long, _slow_ talk with Taka-sani while he waits for his trial." The pair nodded as they took the screaming man away. The man was on the verge of tears behind his mask as Tenzou placed chakra cuffs on him.

"Please! Please don't send me to Ibiki-sama!" Kakashi held up his hand as he cried, halting his two subordinates.

"You're right maybe you shouldn't go see Ibiki." The hawk masked man let out a sigh of relief and was about to thank Kakashi for his kindness but stopped himself as he saw that the cycloptic man had lifted his hita-ate to reveal his sharingan which glowed malevolently. "Neko, Tenzou. Send him to Anko-chan. I'm sure she'd just _love_ to find out why her favorite dango eating partner was nearly killed."

Kakashi pulled up a chair and sat down beside his younger brother as the two Anbu dragged away the shrieking Taka. His pleas for help died off and the room fell silent soon after. The silver haired man's blood was boiling. How could they have done this? How could the village he loved stoop to such monstrous behavior. That didn't matter now. All that mattered was his little brother's safety. Kakashi squeezed Naruto's hand as he thought to himself.

' _You have to live, Otouto. Heal fast and wake up soon. I hope you're ready when you do. Because when you wake up, your training will start._ '

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 **So there you have it folks. The first chapter of Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux. As some of you who read the first one, you'll notice I didn't actually change much to the actual story so far. And honestly that's because I'm actually pretty happy with how the story came out for the first few chapters. My only real problems with the first few chapters were that they were short and that I missed a few details that I really shouldn't have. Chapter 4 was really where I started to have problems with my own work and I think I've developed as a storyteller enough to write the story I wanted to when I first got the inspiration to write it. I hope you all will join me on this new journey.**

 **~Ninja**


	2. Silent Lucidity

**Alright ladies and gentlemen. Here we have chapter two! I can't tell you how happy I am to see all the positive responses I've been getting to this story. Reading your reviews and seeing the excitement for this story is really encouraging! Thank you all so much for joining me on this journey. I'm not going to keep you waiting, so lets get right into it! I hope you enjoy this next chapter of Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux!  
**

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"Talking"

 _'Thinking'_

 _"Writing"_

 ** _"Bijuu Talking"_**

 _ **'Bijuu Thinking'**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Nor do I own any of the other creations I make reference to and draw inspiration from.  
**

* * *

 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 2: Silent Lucidity**

Naruto awoke in a place he'd never been before. It was dark and smelled foul and he was standing in a large pool of water.

' _Where am I? I was on my way to Kakashi-nii's when… Oh.'_ The young blonde stopped his train of thought as the events of the night before came flooding back into his memory.

 **~Flashback no Jutsu~**

" _Ahhh. That was delicious! Thanks Teuchi-san! How much do I owe you?" Naruto exclaimed as he finished his fourth bowl of ramen. Ichiraku Teuchi smiled at the young jinchuuriki. It made him sad that the son of his favorite customers was treated so terribly. Yes, Teuchi knew exactly who Naruto was the moment he stepped into Ichiraku's for the first time. He'd been serving his mother, Kushina, since the first day he opened his restaurant. He had watched her and Minato's relationship bloom and grow from behind his stove. Now it seemed their son had inherited Kushina's insatiable taste for his ramen._

" _It's no charge Naruto-kun." Teuchi smiled as the young blonde's eyes lit up._

" _Really?"_

" _Yep. No charge." Teuchi's daughter, Ayame told the boy as she leaned in and gave the child a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Birthday Naruto-kun."_

 _Naruto's face turned bright red as he felt the beautiful teen's lips on his cheek. She giggled as the boy sat there speech-less._

" _Wow, I didn't think I'd do that to him."_

 _Naruto's face changed immediately when he looked at the clock._

" _Oh no! Its way later than I thought it was. I need to get to Kakashi-nii's fast. Bye Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan." With that the young blonde was off._

" _Wait, Naruto-kun. I forgot to… give you your present." Ayame sighed as he was well out of hearing distance by then._

 _Naruto rushed through the back alleys of the village, trying desperately to get to his brother's home before someone spotted him. However, that was proving to be easier said than done as the directions his silver haired brother had given him were soaked in ramen broth, causing the ink to run._

'Maybe I should try eating slower next time. Ugh, where am I going?! I think I may have made a wrong turn.'

 _Naruto suddenly found himself out of the alley and into the open._

'Yep. Definitely took a wrong turn.' _The young boy thought as he found himself under the contemptuous gaze of a dozen drunken villagers._

 **~Kai~**

Naruto shuttered as he remembered what happened next. After a chase which drew the attention of more villagers, Naruto had been cornered in an alleyway. A flurry of punches and kicks and broken sake bottles assaulting his frail body as he begged for them to stop in a futile attempt to evoke their mercy. But none came from the crowd. It wasn't until Tenzou and Neko showed up that the assault ceased.

' _None will ever come as long as I stay here. Kaa-san, I promise I will leave. If Kakashi-nii won't train me, then I'll find someone who will!'_ Naruto was brought from his thoughts as he heard a roar and a growl from deep in the tunnel.

"Well, I don't see any other place to go. I guess I should find out what's making that noise." The young blonde mused to himself. As he made his way through the tunnel toward the source of the chilling sounds. The growling grew louder and louder until he came to find what was exactly causing the noise. Naruto stood before a cage as tall as the Hokage tower itself. Many bars as thick as the largest trees the young boy had ever seen separated the young boy and the cage's occupant whose large slitted red eyes were staring intently at its occupant. The Kyuubi no Kitsune was every bit as menacing that the young boy had imagined it would be, based on the stories. It's teeth looked like it could eat a Brown Bear like a child eats a gummi bear, and it's claws looked like they could dig trenches with just a swipe of it's paw. What was slightly off to the jinchuuriki were it's ears. They didn't look like the ears of any fox he'd ever seen, they were much longer like a rabbit. The head of this gargantuan demon suddenly began to move down, lowering until it's jaw was sitting in the water of the sewers and it's eyes were firmly fixed on the five year old boy before it.

 **"So... You have arrived. I must admit, was not expecting a visit from my warden so soon."**

"Visit?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "I don't even know where I am or how I got here."

 **"We are currently in your mind, child. I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and my spirit, my charka, my very being has been sealed inside of you. Place your hands upon the bars of my cage."**

"Why? Are you gonna try and grab me and eat me?" A deep rumbling chuckle escaped the tailed beast's lips

 **"I could not kill you even if I wanted to in my current state. When you touch my cage, I will link our consciousnesses and I will be able to gaze into your memories. I wish to know the kind of person my jailer is."**

"Alright. You may not like what you see though." The beast scoffed as Naruto approached the cage and placed his hand on one of the tall posts. Once he did, memories came flooding through his mind from his earliest memories in the orphanage, to the glares and attacks from villager, meeting those he had come to call family, the letters from his parents, and finally the most recent attempt at his life. When it was all over, the Kyuubi began to thrash around it's cage continually slamming itself into the bars. The water splashing violently and causing large waves through out the sewer soaking the blonde as the beast raged.

" **RELEASE ME! THOSE MONSTERS! I SHALL SLAUGHTER EVERY ONE OF THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS! I WILL DEVOUR EVERY ONE OF THEIR STILL-BEATING HEARTS AND SHIT OUT THEIR FOUL PUTRID SOULS! WHAT KIND OF A HEARTLESS CREATURE WOULD DO THIS TO A CHILD?! THIS VILLAGE WILL BE RAZED TO THE GROUND AND CONSUMED IN HELLFIRE! I WILL-"**

The bijuu continued rant and slam itself against its cage for another good five minutes before giving up its endeavors. Naruto's eyes widened at some the things the beast had said as it cursed up a storm big enough to cause even the most traveled sailor to feel uneasy. Finally the Kyuubi let out a long drawn out breath, he heat from it's breath washing over the young boy. It closed it's eyes and regained it's composure. It opened it's eyes and looked at the child, it's red eyes softened as it looked into the boy's cerulean ones.

" **Child… I am so sorry."**

Naruto was shocked. The Kyuubi no Kitsune, the demon that had rampaged through the village he called home and brought terror to most who had ever encountered it actually _apologized_ to _him_.

"What for? You never hurt me? And the villagers never would have known about you if Hokage-sama hadn't let it slip. So you have nothing to be sorry for."

Kyuubi's eyes widened in shock. Was the boy truly that forgiving? It was astounding to the bijuu that this boy of only five could be so mature.

" **Thank you. I give you my word as a bijuu, if you ever need my help in anything, I will give you my assistance."**

Naruto stood there stunned. Then he thought of something.

"Can you train me to become stronger? Strong enough so that I can leave this village behind."

" **Yes. I promise that I will help train you, Naruto with all the power that I possess. However I can not train you with your mindscape in its current form."**

"So how do I change it?" the blonde asked, scratching his head.

" **Tis your mind, child. Think it, and your mindscape will change."**

Naruto thought hard and suddenly the sewer was replaced with a vast mountain valley. The bars began to glow as they formed a collar around the bijuu's neck with a golden dog-tag with the kanji for _"Seal"_ engraved on it. The putrid waters of the sewer became a lush river filled with fish of various sizes and colors. Trees soon began to sprout out of the ground, filling the air with the smell of cherry blossoms, maple, and white pine needles. The fox's eyes widened as it beheld the beauty of the landscape before it. The Kyuubi shrunk down to the size of a grizzly bear and began to walk through the forest, quickly gaining speed as Naruto opened his eyes to see a bear sized bijuu practically frolicking through a majestic forest of his own imagining. He stifled a giggle until the demon walked up to him with an almost happy expression on it's face.

" **A most agreeable locale, but you forgot that you will need a place to train."** Naruto closed his eyes once more and thought hard as a large building appeared before the pair. The kyuubi examined the building and was actually impressed at the level of detail the young boy had included in his mental training ground. It had all of the necessary amenities of training complex including a taijutsu dojo, kenjutsu practice arena, a field to work on ranged weaponry complete with targets, he had even included a hot spring to relax in after training.

" **I commend you. This appears to be a perfect place to train. How did you know to include all of the little details?"**

"I saw it in a show Kakashi-nii watches with me." Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Recently Kakashi and Naruto had decided to hang out more while he was off duty and subsequently the pair became addicted to the new television series starring Chiba Shinichi where he was the leader of a secret group of ninja who lived in the mountains and traveled across the land as secret protectors. The bijuu laughed heartily at the boy's innocence.

" **Well I like it. But we shall not start your studies until later. I have much to plan, and I sense the old man and your brother are waiting for you to wake up."**

Naruto nodded before bowing to the kitsune before him. "Alright. Until next time, Kyuubi-sensei."

 _In the Real World_

Naruto awoke in his hospital bed to the sight of Kakashi and the Hokage talking to each other in front of his bed. Kakashi was dressed in a regular Jounin vest instead of his traditional ANBU uniform. Sarutobi was sitting in a chair opposite him in his Kage robe, his hat hung on a rack by the door. They seemed to be deep in a conversation.

"So that's everything. The doctor says that he'll be well enough to leave the hospital in a few days. Neko and Tenzou rounded up the few ninja in the crowd that they recognized and taken them into custody. Ibiki and Anko are having a field day with them." Sarutobi nodded, the two heads of the Interrogation Branch of ANBU had grown quite fond of the young boy. He even brought a smile Morino Ibiki's usually stoic face a few times. He looked at Kakashi as he continued his report. "However it was too large for them to track down everyone involved."

The Hokage was about to respond when both of their attentions were taken by a voice. Naruto let out a groan as his whole body was in immense pain. Immediately the two were by the young boy's side. Kakashi spoke up first.

"Otouto, I'm so sorry. This was all my fault." Naruto sat up and gave his brother a hug.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-nii. It wasn't you fault. I got ramen broth on the directions you wrote down and got lost."

Hiruzen saw how much the pair truly cared for each other and was happy that the boy had found some semblance of family.

"Naruto-kun, is there anything you can remember about the people who attacked you? Can you recall any of their faces?"

"No I can't Hokage-sama. But there is something I remember. There were a few ANBU in the group, but I didn't recognize them. They all had the kanji for 'Root' on their masks." Naruto's voice seemed unnaturally cold for someone his age. Sarutobi seethed when he heard about the 'ANBU' in the crowd. He had told Danzo several times that he was to disband the Root Program. However something else wasn't sitting right with the elderly kage. He slowly turned back to Naruto concerned when he finally realized what that was.

"Hokage-sama? You've never called me that. You always have called me Jiji"

"That was before I discovered that you lied to me my entire life, Hokage-sama" Naruto turned and looked at the elderly man. A sharp pain filled the Kage's heart as the boy continued to refer to him so formally and not in his usual, loving way. The young boy reminded the man of the time his father had been told that Kushina had been captured by enemy ninja.

"My _Jiji_ would have made sure I was well protected during the one day I was most likely to be attacked. My _Jiji_ would have told me the truth. And my _Jiji_ wouldn't let me have to be told who I was and why I was attacked by the very thing responsible for my life being so hard." Sarutobi's eyes widened and began to water as the child he considered a grandson verbally tore him to pieces.

"Yes Hokage- _sama_ , I met the Kyuubi. And I had to learn from the _bijuu_ and not my own Jiji why the village hates me so much and why they treat me like dirt when you refused to give me a straight answer. _It_ told me who my parents were when _you_ yourself looked me in the eyes and told me that you didn't know. So, no, you aren't my Jiji. You lost that right." The Hokage hung his head in shame. He couldn't say anything to that. Naruto was right. He didn't have any right. Anything he could say would merely be an excuse. And the boy didn't need any more excuses. So he said the only thing he could say before he left.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'll tell the doctors you're awake. You should be cleared to leave tomorrow or the next day." Soon after the doctors came in, gave the blonde a check up, and replaced his bandages while they were there as well. Kakashi held his hand and gave him a concerned look as he stared at the hokage's hat which he had left on the rack when he left.

"I know he deserved it, but did you have to go so hard on him Otouto?" Kakashi asked as he carried his brother toward his apartment.

"Probably not. But I was caught up in the moment. I did meet Kyuubi though. It wasn't too thrilled at how I've been treated."

The masked jounin raised a brow at that. "Really? I'd think that it'd be happy to see its jailer suffering."

"Actually was quite the opposite. It shook it's cage something fierce. I thought it was going to break out and wreck the village again. Then it actually apologized and agreed to train me. How cool is that?"

"Wow. So it seems that you'll have two senseis to help you grow strong." Naruto looked at his brother with excitement.

"Really Aniki? You're gonna help me?" Kakashi gave him an eye smile and nodded.

"What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't help out my Otouto reach his potential." Naruto hugged his brother tightly as he thanked him repeatedly.

' _After yesterday, how could I live with myself I let you stay here?'_ Kakashi was brought from his thoughts when Naruto spoke up.

"Hey, Kakashi-nii?"

"Yeah?" The silver haired man eye smiled back at the young jinchuuriki.

"Is it Thursday yet?" Kakashi was slightly confused as to why he was wondering the day until the wires in his brain crossed and electricity fired through his mind.

"Oh Kami! It is! And it's almost 7! Where's the remote for the tv in this room? We don't want to miss it!" Kakashi picked up the remote control and turned on the television that was affixed to the wall in the hospital room. He changed the channel to the right station before sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, the blond child he saw as his little brother resting against him as they began to watch their favorite show.

 _Three Days Later_

Naruto rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he trudged toward the fridge. He shivered a bit as the cold air hit him in the early morning. Grabbing the carton of milk the young blonde decided to forgo getting a glass and began to drink it straight. He was interrupted when a gloved hand grabbed the carton from him mid gulp.

"Hey Kakashi-nii, I was drinking that!" The young jinchuuriki said angrily.

"Yeah? Well _I'm_ the one who bought the milk." Kakashi snarkily replied pulling down his mask and taking a drink. Once Kakashi had finished his swig of milk, he handed it back to Naruto before pulling his mask back up and started to make breakfast for the two of them. Naruto wondered why Kakashi always wore that mask. He wasn't ugly or have any scars, at least not on his face. In fact, in Naruto's opinion his older brother was actually a handsome guy. But who was he to judge his brother's life choices?

 ** _"Tis a wonderfully mature way of thinking, Naruto. So young, and yet you seem to possess greater moral fiber than a many of the people in your world._** ** _I have to admit, you are quite the delightful curiosity._** ** _"_**

' _Thanks. I think…'_ Naruto scratched his head as he tried to put together what the bijuu meant by their words. _'Wait... How are you talking to me?'_

" **Through your mind, child. How else? After our first meeting within your mind, a connection opened up between us, linking your mind and senses to my own. Just think and you can speak with me."**

' _Wow. That seems like it could be incredibly useful.'_

" **Indeed. But I think we should cut this chat short. Your brother seems a bit concerned."**

Kakashi waved his hand in front of Naruto's face.

"Hey, Naruto. You still in there?" Naruto shook his head and looked at his brother in a wide-eyed daze. "What was that Kakashi-nii?"

"I've been trying to get you attention for like a minute. Are you okay? Your eyes were glazed over and you were just staring out into space." He gave his usual foxy grin as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, Kyuubi just wanted to tell me something. Apparently we can talk to each other just through thinking."

The silver haired man rubbed his chin as he considered this new information.

"Well, you're going to have to work on your communication. You can't go all glassy eyed in the middle of a fight." The older man eye-smiled as he ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Now let's hurry up and eat. The sooner we get to eat, the sooner your training can begin. You want bacon in your omelette?" Naruto's eyes lit up at the words breakfast and training.

 _Training Ground 7_

Kakashi set Naruto down on the ground and sat on a log as he figured out how to go about training his little brother, who sat cross legged on the ground expectantly.

"Naruto, do you still have the scroll from your father on you?" Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, I have it right here."

The young blonde nodded, digging into his pockets and pulling out the message from his father. Kakashi opened it and examined it. At the very bottom of the scroll were three storage seals labeled "Rasengan", "Hiraishin", and "Hummingbird." Kakashi bit his thumb and wiped some blood across the seal. A puff of smoke covered the scroll. When the smoke cleared, Kakashi held three scrolls in his hands instead of one. Kakashi opened the first scroll and began to read. His sensei's style of taijutsu was unique to say the least. He remembered how fast and versatile he had moved while using it. The kata seemed to put a lot of strain on the body. Even Kakashi would need years of training if he were to even attempt to try learning. It wasn't until he noticed a bit of scribbling at the bottom.

" _By the way, this style is incredibly difficult to learn and could possibly cripple you for life if you jump right into it. So I've included a gravity seal on the second scroll that you should place on your body. When you are able to fight confidently under level 10 on the seal then I think you'll be ready to start learning. Have Kakashi of Jaraiya-sensei apply it before you do any of this._

 _Good luck Naruto!"_

' _That's Minato-sensei for you. Always forgetting that one detail until the last minute.'_ Kakashi sighed as he looked over the seals he needed to use on the second scroll.

"Naruto, take off your shirt." Naruto got really confused and his face showed it as he saw Kakashi pull out a jar of fuinjustu ink and a brush from his jounin vest.

"Why?"

"In order for you to learn the Hummingbird Style, your body has to be conditioned to handle the strain. So I'm going to put this seal on you. It's going to make you feel a lot heavier and get you prepared to learn the techniques."

"Okay." The young blonde said as he removed his shirt. Kakashi dipped the brush in the ink and began to paint the seals on the young boy's torso. The ink was very cold against the young boy's skin. However Naruto stayed perfectly still. Kakashi had told him about how touchy fuinjutsu could be. He didn't want Kakashi to slip up and cause him to explode or something. When Kakashi was finished drawing the seals on the boy, he began to do a long series of hand seals. The silver-haired man's hand began to glow as he finished the hand signs before slamming his hand against the seals. Naruto's entire torso began to shine brightly before the seals began to converge on his right shoulder. As the seals stopped glowing, they revealed a tattoo in the shape of a sun with the kanji for zero on it.

"This is the Gravity Seal." Kakashi explained as he pointed to the seal.

"It's not activated right now. Once I activate the seal, immense pressure will be put onto you and your entire body will become heavier. Once you are able to fight properly when the level is on 10, then you can begin training in the Hummingbird Style. Are you ready Otouto?" Naruto nodded in understanding.

Kakashi channeled a bit of chakra through his finger and into the seal, activating it.

 _"_ ** _And so the show begins._ " **Naruto wondered what the bijuu meant by that when suddenly…

 **THUD!**

Naruto found himself face first in the dirt. He couldn't move as he felt like he weighted a million pounds.

"Uggh. Is this level 10 Kakashi-nii?" The blonde jinchuuriki strained to speak as he tried with all his might to move. Kakashi squatted down beside his little brother.

"Nope."

"Well what level is it?" Kakashi eye-smiled brightly.

"0.5" Naruto groaned in frustration.

"Seriously?! It's going to take forever to reach level 10!" His cycloptic brother patted the blonde on the head.

"Don't worry Naruto. You'll get there sooner than you think. Now try to stand up. If you can walk by lunch time, I'll help you learn some basic taijutsu." That got Naruto's energy going as he strained with all his might. Kakashi sat on the log and pulled out an orange book and began to read. He occasionally would chuckle to himself and mutter. "Kami, who writes this crap? I love it so much."

 _5 Hours Later_

Naruto stood on shaky legs. He struggled as he moved his leg forward. The young jinchuuriki made slow heavy steps toward his brother who closed his book and looked up and eye smiled.

"Very good, Naruto. You actually got to trudging faster than I expected. Now let's go get some ramen before we move onto the next part of your training." Naruto smiled at the thought of food. He was sweating profusely from all the work he had to put in just to keep up.

 _" **Don't worry, Naruto. As with most things, the first one is always the hardest. When your brother decides 'tis time to increase the level of this seal, I have the utmost confidence that you will be ready for it."**_

' _Wow, thanks Kyuubi-sensei. That actually makes me feel a bit better. One question though.'_

 _" **And what is that?"**_

' _WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING SOONER?! You were completely silent for FIVE HOURS! I could have used some support!'_ The bijuu chuckled at the boy's reaction.

 _" **I was preoccupied** **"**_ Kyuubi stated in a bemused tone which just upset the five-year old.

 _'With what?! I really could have used some encouragement!'_

 ** _"I was formulating the curriculum for your training in your mindscape."_**

' _Oh. I'm sorry. I appreciate that. Once I'm done with Kakashi-nii, I can begin my training with you?'_ Naruto replied sheepishly.

 _ **"Indeed. Now go enjoy your lunch."**_

 _Ichiraku Ramen_

Naruto and Kakashi made it into the blonde's favorite eatery in about half an hour. Naruto's trudge had finally become more of a shamble and the young jinchuuriki could walk like he was tired, which wasn't too far from the truth. Naruto plopped himself on the stool as Ayame came up to the pair. Her smile faded when she saw Naruto.

"Naruto-kun!" She reached over the bar and hugged the blonde. His cheeks began to burn as he felt the teen's breasts against his face.

"I heard what happened on your birthday. We were so worried about you." Naruto scratched his head when the young waitress let him go.

"I'm sorry I made you and Teuchi-san worry. But I'm all better now." Ayame gave him a stern look.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Ayame smiled at his words.

"Alright. So what'll you have today Naruto-kun?" Naruto gave his classic foxy grin.

"One of everything and keep them coming Ayame-chan! Kakashi-nii's buying me lunch!" Ayame looked at the silver-haired man with a smirk.

"Oh he is, is he? Well then, I better tell Tou-san to start cooking." The young brunette said as she walked over to the kitchen.

' _The fool has no idea what he's just unleashed. Looks like we'll be able to buy some new equipment after all. Tou-san will be happy about that.'_

Kakashi felt a chill wash over his spine as the first bowl was placed in front of Naruto.

' _H-He's only five. How much ramen could he possibly eat?'_

An hour and a half later, Kakashi wept as he pulled the last bill from his wallet. He handed all of the money to Ayame who smiled brightly as she placed the money in the register.

' _21! He ate 21 bowls of ramen in one sitting. It must have been the gravity seal! He was eating so slowly that he ended up digesting the first bowl as he ate the next! This couldn't possibly happen a second time.'_ Oh the poor naive fool.

By the time Naruto had finished, the afternoon rush of people had begun out in the village. As such Naruto didn't want to walk around with the gravity seal activated and unable to run if need be. So Kakashi cast their usual genjutsu, or the Piggy-Backpack no Jutsu as Naruto liked to call it, and the two made their way back to the training ground to continue their training.

 _Later that night_

"I'm going to go to sleep for a bit, okay Kakashi-nii?" Kakashi simply waved to Naruto as he shuffled toward the bedroom. Naruto flopped on Kakashi's bed. It was really soft and comfortable. He somehow expected it to be hard because ninjas were expected to sleep in trees and on the ground while on missions.

"Oh well. It's nice and I can get some rest after training so hard. Once I get used to this seal, hopefully Kakashi-nii will actually start teaching me how to fight with kaa-san's swords. But first, I need some sleep."

" **Not so fast, child. We still have to begin** _ **our**_ **training."**

 _Naruto's Mindscape_

Naruto stood outside the training complex in his mind. He let out a relieved sigh as he felt his body at it's original weight, no longer restricted by the gravity seal. Making his way into the building, Naruto noticed a particular lack of, well anyone. He couldn't see his resident bijuu anywhere. He cupped his mouth and called out into the empty dojo.

"Kyuubi-sensei? Kyuubi-sensei! Where are you?"

 **"I am right here, child. One must have patience in all endeavors."** A voice came from behind Naruto. A voice he'd never heard before. It was unquestionably female, it was as smooth as silk and warm like cinnamon. Her accent was definitely not one from the Land of Fire. The boy turned around to see a woman standing in the doorway. She was a svelte, exotic-looking woman with the figure of a goddess with dark raven black hair that framed her face and large crimson eyes. Naruto looked at her from toe to tip. She wore leather boots that reached up to below her knees. She had black leggings reaching up out of them beneath a patch-worked leather skirt which was hemmed at an angle from her right mid-thigh to her left knee with what looked like an assortment of belts hanging from the hem to complete the garment, acting as a sort of make-shift fringe. Naruto blushed as he saw that her torso was not covered very much. In fact, she almost made Anko look modest as she only looked to be some sort of bikini like top covered by a combination scarf and hood which she had up, showing off much of her alabaster skin. She wore a choker with a golden pendant hanging from it. The young boy's jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the kanji for 'Seal' on the golden pendant.

"K-Kyuubi-sensei!?" The woman smiled and let out a chuckle at the boy's reaction. It sent a shiver down the boy's spine.

 **"But of course. T'would be quite bothersome if there were someone else but the two of us meddling about in the inner sanctum of your mind."** The woman walked into the room and Naruto noticed nine fluffy, if slightly matted red fox tails swishing behind her.

"I didn't know you were a girl!" The fox woman sat down on the floor near a stack of books.

 **"I am not... Not exactly."**

"Then what are you?" She looked him in the eye with a slightly exasperated stare.

 **"Complicated. I have a lot to start teaching you Naruto and I would rather get started than give an arduous explanation of the intricacies of my gender to a five year old."**

"What?"

 **"My point exactly. Now please sit, we have much to learn."** Naruto walked over to his second sensei, sitting before them with his legs crossed and listened intently as they continued to speak. **"I took a considerable amount of time contemplating how best I could help you in your endeavors to become stronger. Thus I have determined that I will focus my abilities on developing your mental acuity, helping you become smarter than those who would wish you harm. You see knowledge is just as important as skill when it comes to all things. An opponent may be many times more powerful than you are, but if you have mastered yourself and are able to out think your opponent, victory will surely be yours. 'Tis this skill that granted your father many victories in the Third Shinobi War. And 'twas this mastery of self that helped your mother fight the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist to a standstill."**

"Kaa-san fought _all seven_ of them?! _At once?!_ " Naruto's eyes widened at the revelation that his mother was so powerful.

 **"Indeed. 'Twas quite the sight to see from my perspective. I aim to guide your mind while your brother trains your body. However there is one spot in my teachings that I need to determine. You must learn a skill outside of combat."** The young jinchuuriki tilted his head in confusion.

"But why Kyuubi-sensei? What would that do to help me become stronger?"

 **"The life of a warrior is a hard one, Naruto. You will experience much hardship and do things that would cause those of weaker sensibilities to sink into self-loathing and despair. Honing one's skills into something that doesn't rely on bloodshed will help you channel those experiences and negativity into something productive and prevent you from falling into suffering and madness. Now tell me Naruto, what makes you happy? What can you focus on that can turn your pain into something conducive to your own betterment?"** Naruto thought hard about what the bijuu before him asked. What did he like, and what would he like to learn more about? after several minutes of thinking he had an answer.

"On the show _Onsei Mashin no Hanashi_ , there is a man named Mikijai Teishi. He is not the most physically strong, nor the most intelligent. He is not even the wisest of the group. Yet he knows himself more than many of the team. He suffered great pain in his youth yet he inspires the rest of his comrades with poems, jokes and songs... I would like to learn to create music." Tailed being smiled warmly at the child's answer. He was truly a human of great virtue, they felt a surge of satisfaction at the opportunity to help mold him into a man.

 **"Very well. I'll be sure to schedule in some music theory as well into your curriculum. Now if you're ready, we will begin."** Naruto smiled and nodded as his teacher began the first of many lessons to come. He had truly begun his journey now.

* * *

 **And there you have it folks! Chapter two is finished! I h** **ave to admit, this one took much more effort to revise than the last chapter. There were several things that I had problems with, including my constant use of meme references and a few moments where people acted a little too out of character too soon to be believable. I also really wanted to make the relationship between Kakashi and Naruto seem more believable. However my BIGGEST obstacle was fixing how poorly I had written Kyuubi in my previous version. I spend the most time on this chapter rectifying this self-observed flaw and I really think it payed off.** **The previous incarnation of Kyuubi was very crudely constructed and, at least to me, seemed very superfluous. Serving no real purpose other than to just be there. I wanted to make them more three dimensional as well, give them an actual character. So I modeled them after one of my favorite characters in video game history, Morrigan from the Dragon Age series. She's just a fascinating character and I wanted to incorporate some of the things that I loved about her into Kyuubi to make them more than just the 'mighty beast within.'**

 **Well, that's all for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time.**

 **~ Ninja**


	3. A Wolf in Cheap Clothing

**Wow I am just cranking these rewrites out like a man with a mission. I caught the writing bug hard and I like it! Anyway, here we are with the third chapter of Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux! I've been working hard during what little free time I have to bring you all this next chapter and I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself with this one. Again I love the enthusiasm everyone has been showing. I'd like to answer a few questions before we get into the chapter first though...**

 **Escanor: Yeah, I can't get into the exact details of how Naruto is going to become a mercenary just yet. But it's definitely going to be fun to write. Also when _isn't_ Danzo involved in some way with shady dealings?**

 **Ezeakel: I humbly disagree. While what you say is true of _canon_ Kurama, _my_ version of the Kyuubi is a much different being. As such seeing such a young human go through such suffering and still retain a good heart is very much worth their respect.**

 **Autistic Weaboo: Yeah, music is going to play a big part thematically in the story as it's what grounds Naruto, but probably won't be to big as to plot. As for the pairing of this story... I honestly have no idea. I have a few possibilities but nothing concrete. I'd be open to suggestions from all my readers.**

 **Anyway, on with the show!**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.  
**

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 **Jinchuuriku Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 3: A Wolf in Cheap Clothing  
**

It was still early in the morning when Naruto awoke and stood out of his bed, shivering slightly as his feet touched the hardwood floor of his apartment's bedroom. He cracked his neck and stretched his sore muscles. He looked out the window of his bedroom and peered over the neighborhood that his apartment occupied. It wasn't a slum, the Hokage had made sure that Naruto wasn't living in a squalor during his formative years. However the neighborhood wasn't the classiest either, especially before sun up. He stripped out of his night shirt and pajama pants as he made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the shower tap and examined his body in the mirror.

He'd changed a lot in the ten years since he discovered his lineage and started on the path toward becoming strong enough to leave this village behind. His body had lost almost every trace of baby fat as Kakashi had made sure not to only train him physically, but also made it a priority that his little brother ate a proper diet. The blonde jinchuuriki now had a wiry, athletic build with strong dense muscles. His height had also grown significantly, he was now a staggering 5'10" and Kakashi suspected that the 15 year old still had some growing to do. He traced his fingers over the sun shaped seal over his right shoulder. It was expertly made and Naruto had to commend Kakashi on the placement. It was smaller than the seal that contained Kyuubi yet it was still significantly large. The center of it rested on his shoulder while the flames of the sun design extended down to his bicep, shoulder blade, and clavicle giving it the appearance of a tattoo that was both functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.

The glass of the mirror began to fog with steam as Naruto entered the shower and let the hot water wash over him. He let out a long sigh of relief as he felt his tired muscles relax and rejuvenate as he thanked his luck that he had such a potent healing ability thanks to his tenant. Kakashi had decided to increase the power on the Gravity Seal to 8 and increase the intensity of his brother's training. Needless to say, Naruto was lucky not to have any broken bones.

 ** _'Your brother wishes the best for you, Naruto. 'Tis a commendable goal to better those we love and see them achieve their dreams.'_ **The bijuu's voice echoed through his mind as he cleansed his body in preparation for the day. Since its transformation into its humanoid form, the Kyuubi no Kitsune had always sounded so pleasant to Naruto. He was absorbed into their every word during their lessons together. Unfortunately he could not enjoy the dulcet tones of their voice as he usually did due to his current state of dress. A situation very few are comfortable with when company suddenly arrives.

 _'Kyuubi-senei... We discussed this. When I'm in the shower, I would very much like my privacy.'_

 ** _'Ah yes. I do recall you giving quite the eloquent and judicious argument.'_**

 _'... And?'_

 ** _'Alas, I have resolved to ignore your request.'_**

 _'Wha-... Why?'_ Naruto could feel the bijuu shrug in his mind.

 _ **'Who can say? Mine is a capricious nature.'**_ The blonde could feel the vulpine demon smirk mentally. He let out a long audible sigh and grabbed the bridge of his nose. His tenant definitely lived up to its nature as a kitsune from time to time, teasing him in ways that frustrated him to no end and caused the tailed beast a great deal of amusement. Naruto sometimes wondered if he'd find these antics much less tolerable if they had chosen to stay in their bestial form as opposed to the form of a ravishing beauty that they had taken for the last decade of his life.

Naruto made his way back into his room, slipping on a pair of hand-me-down ANBU pants he had gotten from Kakashi and a matching shirt before sitting on his bed. He reached down and pulled out a thick scroll the height of his forearm. Inside it he had stored all of his worldly possessions, including many items he had collected from his parents home. He'd gone there with his brother shortly after his seventh birthday to collect his inheritance. Not only did he collect an exorbitant amount of money from their personal vaults, dozens of thick bound books and scrolls on fuinjutsu as well as various other subjects that interested his parents, and enough ninja supplies that he wouldn't be left wanting for several years. But the young blonde had also recovered several photo albums, filled with cherished memories from both of his parents' lives.

 _'So, Kyuubi-sensei, was there a reason for your intrusion on my personal time? Or were you simply trying to amuse yourself?'_ Naruto asked as he bit his thumb and channeled some chakra into the appendage as he swiped it over a seal. With a plume of white smoke, an electric guitar appeared in the young jinchuuriki's lap. He'd saved up several months of allowance that he'd received from the Hokage to purchase it from a nearby merchant town. It didn't even have paint, just a few layers on wood stain. But it was his and he'd worked hard to master the instrument.

 ** _'Tis a bit of both perhaps. I have been mulling many a thing over in my mind as of late. I think I will come to a conclusion later today. I will reqiure you to come into your mindscape to discuss matters. For now, you may return to your practice. Be sure to begin with your scales and arpeggios. You have been negligent on both jazz and harmonic minor scales this week._** _ **'**_

Naruto smiled as he nodded in agreement. Kyuubi was ever the diligent teacher even when it came to matters not regarding his training. He grabbed the pick from between the stings in the headstock and re-tuned the strings before he continued his morning routine. He practiced for two hours until the sun was well above the horizon. Once the blonde had finished, he resealed the guitar into the scroll and prepared breakfast. He ate in solitude as he had many times before. He proceeded to his closet and grabbed a gaudy orange and blue jacket. The lining of the jacket was covered in seals and various kanji.

Once Naruto placed the jacket on and zipped it up, the seals began to take effect and a powerful genjutsu was placed over the young man. His appearance shifted to that of a much more malnourished version of himself. He even appeared to have shrunken a whole foot. He slipped on a pair of goggleds and placed them on his forehead before heading out the door and making his way toward the academy.

Today was certainly going to be an interesting day.

 _Konoha Academy_

Naruto sat in his usual seat near the back of the class as the rest of the students began to file into the classroom for hopefully one of the last times. As they walked in, four people gave Naruto an acknowledging nod in greeting. Naruto had grown friendly over the years to Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba. Sitting near Kiba was Hyuuga Hinata. She would constantly glance over at the young jinchuuriki while doing her nervous tick of touching her fingertips together. Whenever her and Naruto would make eye contact, she would quickly look away as her face turned beat red.

 _' **Oh my. It seems you have an admirer, Naruto. To think even in this guise you could make a girl blush just with your gaze. I wonder how she would react if she saw you as you truly are.'**_

' _I'm aware of Hinata's affections toward me. But I can't pursue a relationship with someone when I intend on leaving the village they call home behind. It would be cruel and would hurt them in the end. As much as I dislike this village as a whole, I couldn't bring myself to hurt someone as kind hearted as her.'_ Naruto was ripped from his conversation by the one sound he had come to dread in all his time at the academy.

"CHA! YOU LOSE INO-PIG! SASUKE-KUN IS MINE!" Naruto cringed as the pink haired banshee known as Hanuro Sakura entered the classroom along with Yamanka Ino. The pair infuriated Naruto to no end. They were the worst examples of fan girls for the spoiled brat Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto could barely believe that they were likely to become the top kunoichi in his class. He dreaded how they would act in the field. It was at that time that their instructors Umino Iruka and Mizuki entered the classroom. The latter gave off a very friendly attitude, yet whenever it appeared that neither Naruto or Iruka were looking, a glare of disdain would find it's way to the young jinchuuriki.

 _ **'That idiot is as subtle as a train wreck... on a boat. 'Tis a wonder how he gained a position teaching youth to become**_ **ninja _.'_ **Naruto quietly snickered before Iruka stood before the class and began to speak.

"Alright everyone, sit down. Today is the day that you take your graduation tests. Those of you who will pass, will be able to move on to the rank of Genin. This test will be split up into three separate sections. A written test of what you've learned, a combat test, and a jutsu test. If you fail one of these tests then you fail the entire test. Now Mizuki is handing out the written tests as we speak. You may begin when you receive your paper."

Naruto received his test and wasn't at all shocked to see that the white haired Chunin had placed a genjutsu on his paper to have all of the questions be of a much higher difficulty than any academy student would know. However, being a jinchuuriki had its perks. Like not being affected by genjutsu for example. Naruto simply dispelled the genjutsu and began his test. The questions were so easy that a monkey could ace the test.

Once the written part of the exam was finished, the Chunin led the students to a target range where they were each handed ten shuriken and ten kunai. Each of them went in alphabetical order trying to hit the bullseyes on all the dummies. Naruto waited patiently as everyone went before him. Next up was Sasuke who scored the top of the class so far hitting 19 out of 20 of the targets. Naruto heard his name as he stepped up to the range. He stepped up to the platform and opened the shuriken and kunai pouches on his hips. As he threw the projectiles, many of his classmates began to snicker and a few even made jokes about his sloppy and unfocused technique, opting to simply hurl them with all of his might rather than with any finesse. Even the usually uncaring Sasuke let an arrogant smirk grace his lips. However their jokes stopped abruptly as Iruka examined the targets and his eyes widened in shock. Not only did Naruto hit every single bullseye, but many of the kunai had sunken into the wooden targets down to the handle, and the shuriken only had a few prongs of their blades' serrations protruding out of them.

"20 points. A perfect score, congratulations Naruto." Naruto smiled as he saw the shocked expressions of the students as well as Sasuke seething. Iruka gathered the students and brought each of them one by one into a room for the jutsu portion of the exam. After several minutes Naruto's name was called and he went into the room where Iruka and Mizuki sat at a table. Iruka smiled.

"This part of the test will see if you can perform the three basic jutsu that all ninja must know. Are you ready Naruto?"

"Hai Iruka-sensei."

"First, the **Kawarimi no Jutsu**. I'll be your target, whenever you're ready." Naruto channeled his chakra and disappeared into a puff of smoke, when the smoke cleared, the brunette chunnin stood in his place. He smiled as Naruto stood by his chair and then used the jutsu once more to return to his place.

"Now the **Henge**." Naruto did the hand-sign and was consumed by a plume of smoke. The smoke cleared and standing in the room was a perfect copy of the Yondaime. Naruto dispelled the jutsu and prepared for the final jutsu. Mizuki smirked. Iruka checked off the sheet of paper on his desk.

"Now, finally the **Bushin** **no Jutsu**. You have to make two perfect versions of the basic bunshin." Naruto sighed as he channeled his chakra and made the Ram seal with his hands. He knew this wasn't going to work, he had been taught the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** by Kakashi because he didn't have enough fine chakra control for the standard, but he had to at least attempt. Otherwise he wasn't going to get out of this damned academy.

" **Bunshin no Jutsu**!" He shouted and with two plumes of smoke, two very sickly pale copies of Naruto appeared beside him. They looked to be even more malnourished than the blonde and suffering from anemia as they struggled to stand. Naruto turned to the two chinnin before him already expecting their answers. Iruka looked over the pair of clones sadly.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. While these clones are probably the best you've ever created in your time at the academy, these clones would be practically useless in the field. Unfortunately with your grades throughout the year being as poor as they were, you would have needed to ace this test to graduate. I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun. But I can not let you pass this time." This was met with several snickers and several jabbing remarks in the direction of the blonde from his classmates.

Iruka congratulated all of the students who passed and told them to meet back on Monday for their team placements. Many of the students went home to their parents, others went to celebrate with other classmates. Naruto however decided to take a walk, yet he was stopped by a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned to see Mizuki standing behind him with the friendliest fake smile he could muster. If the blonde where as laughably inept as he lead the people of the village to believe, he might have been convinced that he actually cared.

"Naruto-kun, I wanted to talk to you. Do you mind sticking around for a while?"

 _'This is definitely a trap. I wonder what he's up to.'_ Kyuubi chuckled from within his mind.

 _ **'Well then. What say we spring the trap and see what the fool is up to?'**_

"Definitely." Naruto responded to both questions simultaneously. Mizuki smirked as he believed his plan was coming together perfectly, completely unaware that his pawn was fully cognizant of his role, and ready to turn the situation to his own advantage.

 _The Hokage Mansion, Later That Night_

It was nearly midnight when Iruka shunshined into the office of the Hokage after he had an ANBU member appear at his door and informed him that he had been summoned. The Kage was standing on the balcony of his home. He was wearing a his Hokage robes over his pajamas and was looking over the village with his back to the chunnin. Iruka bowed respectfully as he approached the leader of the village.

"You summoned me Hokage-sama?" Iruka stifled a yawn as he adjusted his flak jacket. He had dressed in quite the hurry when he received the summons.

"Yes, Iruka-kun. I require your assist in locating Naruto-kun." Iruka quirked his eyebrow

"Naruto? Why? What's happened to him?" Sarutobi took a few puffs of his pipe before answering.

"He's stolen the Scroll of Sealing from my vault."

'What?! Why would he do that? H-How did he even know of it's existence?"

"I don't know. I suspect he's being manipulated by someone else. He's young and eager to become a ninja. Perhaps someone is using that to their advantage." Iruka clenched his fists as the image of the white haired man he had seen as his best friend for much of his youth burned into his mind. "I've got the best trackers available trying to find him, but he's proving to be very elusive. I trust you to help find him." Iruka nodded and turned to leave. However something bothered him as he turned back to the Hokage.

"Ano, Hokage-sama. Naruto hasn't been able to pass from the academy. How was he able to steal the Scroll from your personal vault?" The kage turned to him and Iruka could see that he had tissues in his nose and look of extreme embarrassment.

"He... got the jump on me and used that damned **Oiroke no Jutsu** of his." The brunette face faulted before taking his leave to find the young boy. He reached out with his senses to try and locate the young student that he held dearly.

 _'Naruto... I hope you don't end up doing something stupid.'_

Naruto was currently making his way toward an old abandoned shack in a clearing on the outskirts of the village. It was the arranged meeting place between him and Mizuki for the completion of his 'Make-up Exam.' He knew exactly what he was retrieving from the Hokage's mansion when Mizuki began his description. Kyuubi had told him of a collection of jutsu that Hashirama Senju had collected and deemed too powerful for ordinary ninja. Naruto smirked as he set down the scroll on the ground. It was massive, standing at up to his hip in his current form.

"Well I completed the 'test' a few hours ahead of schedule. Might as well see what kind of techniques I could learn from this scroll." Naruto looked and saw several techniques that might be useful at a later date and had Kyuubi permanently embed them into his memory so that he could go back to them later. One however stood out to him and he began to read carefully.

 _'The **Satsujin Bushin no Jutsu**. Developed by Tobirama Senju during the Second Great Shinobi War. It is a combination of three **Bunshin** techniques. The **Mizu Bunshin,** **Kage Bunshin** , and **Bunshin Daibakuha**. It creates a clone of flesh and blood just like the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** , as well as the data transfer feature of the **Kage Bunshin** , yet this clone exponentially more resilient than the **Kage Bunshin** , only being deactivated when the user dispels the jutsu or when the clone is killed. When the clone is killed, it's corpse will remain for a total of seven days, upon which the clone melts into a puddle of blood. When the clone is dispelled, they explode in a shower of blood and viscera. __The cost of creating such a powerful clone however, is greatly taxing on the user. The technique requires a great deal of charka to create as well as a pint of the user's own blood to act as a catalyst for the creation of the clone. Due to the severe tax on the user, both physically and psychologically should the clone be killed, the Nidaime Hokage has deemed this technique too dangerous for practical use.'  
_

 _ **'Now**_ **that _is definitely something of interest. And it changes what I have to speak with you about greatly. But for now, roll up the scroll and hide it away. We need to talk.'_ **Naruto nodded and did as his tenant asked, rolling up the scroll and placing it in the hollow of a dead tree before walking into the shack and getting into a meditative position.

 _Mindscape_

Naruto entered into the study of the dwelling within his mind. Sitting behind the desk before a large bookcase was the Kyuubi. They appeared to be pouring themselves over several scrolls. Naruto quietly took a seat and waited patiently for his tenant to finish with the task at hand. After a few minutes the bijuu's crimson eyes lifted and met with their warden's cerulean pools.

 **"I'm delighted to see that you arrived so expediently."** Naruto smirked and leaned back into his chair.

"Well how could I deny an invitation to speak with you, Kyuubi-sensei? You know how much I adore our heart to hearts." The vulpine tenant of his mind smiled as they stood from behind the desk, it's nine tails flowing behind it.

 **"Enough of this gay banter. We need to discuss something of great importance to your well-being. It's come to my attention recently that there is a major flaw in your plan to escape from the path of becoming a ninja locked into the society that has shunned and ostracized you for the entirety of your life."** Naruto listened intently and responded when they had finished.

"And that problem is?" He dodged an incoming scroll as it hit the back of his chair and landed open in his lap, completely blank. He looked up to see his sensei with their hands on either one of the armrests staring into him with an exasperated glare.

 **"You do not have one. You have spent an entire decade training to become skilled enough to survive outside of the village. Yet you have not put any thought into how you are to accomplish leaving. If you simply leave, the Hokage will send teams of ninja to retrieve you. However should you allude them, as Kakashi and I have both ensured you would be capable of doing so, you will be marked as a missing-nin. You will be hunted down and marked for death. As your tenant, sensei, and your friend I simply cannot allow this for you."** The blonde stared back at his sensei in slight shock.

"You consider me a friend?" His raven haired companion let out an exasperated groan as they tugged at their hair.

 **"That is what you drew from all of that?! Naruto, all of your training, all that we have worked for will be for naught! Now pay attention. I believe we can formulate something that could work using several of the techniques that we've learned over the past few years along with these techniques within the Scroll of Sealing."** Naruto cleared his head and began to listen as he began to work with his sensei on a plan that would change his future forever.

 _The Real World_

Naruto woke up in the shack and looked around. Several hours had passed during his conversation with the Kyuubi and Naruto could hear a voice calling out. He was about to leave the shack when he saw none other than Mizuki land in front of the shack. Naruto silently created a **Kage Bunshin** and opened up the window in the back of the shack before slipping out to find a more advantageous position. He looked down on the chunin as he paced around the clearing, he was dressed for combat with two giant shuriken on his back and was becoming increasingly agitated as the seconds passed, calling out to the blonde in a more aggressive tone.

"Naruto! You better get out here right now of so help me I will fail you right n-" The white haired chunin was interrupted by a door closing and yawn from behind him. He whirled around with an enraged glare only to see the malnourished demon brat rubbing the sleep from his eye. Up in the tree, Naruto removed his jacket, cancelling the genjustu on it and reverting to his natural form.

"I'm sorry Mizuki-sensei. But I was waiting for so long I must have dozed off." Mizuki's demeanor changed as he resumed the role of friendly teacher, a slanderous imitation of his long time 'friend', Iruka. He smiled and placed a hand on the young _boy'_ s shoulder. The real Naruto sneered at the man's false display of affection.

"That's okay Naruto-kun. I'm just glad your here and didn't get caught. Since you're here I assume that you completed your test?" The blonde gave him his patented foxy grin as he pumped his fist in the air.

"You bet I did Mizuki-sensei!" The chunin smiled as he looked over to the shack.

"Is it in there?" Naruto shook his head and walked over to the tree he had hidden it in. He pulled the scroll out and slung it onto his back, still smiling dumbly.

"I put it here for safe keeping. We should probably return it to Oji-san soo-" The blonde was interrupted as a giant shuriken came hurling toward him at incredible speeds. He was frozen in what seemed to be fear and closed his eyes. The Naruto in the tree looked away to reach for something in a pouch on his hip. He paused when instead of hearing the thud of the shuriken hitting the tree trunk, the young blonde heard the distinct sound of metal piercing flesh. He looked down to see not only his clone and Mizuki both with shocked expressions, but Umino Iruka shielding his student with one of the giant shuriken lodged into his back. Naruto cursed internally as he watched his sensei extract the weapon from his back and slump against the tree. the young jinchuuriki watched in patient silence as he watched the scene unfold as Mizuki 'revealed' the village's S-Class secret to the young, unsuspecting boy to the adamant protest of Iruka. The clone then fled the scene with the scroll and Naruto quickly retrieved the storage scroll he was grabbing when Iruka arrived as the two chunins rose with their weapons ready to clash.

Mizuki's eyes flashed with insane glee as he prepared to clash with the man he had hated for so many years when a figure appeared behind the scarred man and knocked him unconscious. As the figure stepped out of the shadows he saw it was in fact the Kyuubi brat himself. Yet something was very off about him. For one he was much taller, even taller than he was, and much more broadly built than he had ever seen him. He wasn't wearing that ridiculous orange getup either, instead wearing ANBU gear minus the body armor. But what struck the white haired chunin the most was the weapon that he held in his hand. It was a sword with a blade about as long as his arm that widened and curved upward toward the tip, giving it the appearance of a long survival knife or machete. In place of a tsuba, there was a long piece of metal that stuck out above and below the blade and the pommel was in the shape of the Uzumaki spiral. However, the most striking thing about this blade was the metal itself. It wasn't ordinary steel as it had distinctive patterns and mottlings reminiscent of ripples in water and to appeared to shine red, giving it the appearance of flowing lava. Naruto knelt down and moved Iruka against the tree.

"Sorry sensei, I know you have a dog in this fight too. But you are too kind of a person for this, and this teme made it personal." Naruto heard the distinct whoosh of kunai being thrown as with a flash of speed and dexterity, the blonde parried the barrage of projectiles. The young jinchuuriki stood and turned to Mizuki who was staring at him in absolute confusion, his eyes showing that he had lost all shred of sanity.

"What the fuck is going on?! You're a runt! An idiot! The dead last of the entire village!" Naruto let out a chuckle as he slowly began to walk toward the academy instructor.

"Funny, I thought you said I was the Kyuubi reincarnate. But then you'd be wrong on both points I suppose. Not that it will matter much seeing as you're about to die." The white haired chunin began to laugh insanely as Naruto held up a single handed sign and muttered, " **Juuryoku Shiiru**... Kai!" and the kanji on the sun symbol on his shoulder changed to _"Zero"_.

"YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME? JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME FANCY SWORD?! I AM A CHUNIN! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A PETULANT LITTLE DEMON BR-" Mizuki was interrupted by a fist hitting his jaw, sending hurtling into the air. Naruto jumped from branch to branch before leaping above Mizuki and slamming his foot into the man's chest, knocking the breath out of him and sending him crashing to the ground. A sickening crunch filled the air and the white haired man coughed up blood as the blonde's foot crushed three of his ribs. Naruto knelt down besides the chunnin and looked down upon him as he struggled to breathe through bits of broken teeth and bubbles of blood in his lungs. His eyes where ablaze with rage and confusion.

"You broke Oji-san's law about revealing what happened on the night of my birth, and for that I must terminate you. But let me tell you a little secret of my own Mizuki-teme. A little parting gift for you to take into eternity with you. I am _not_ the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I am Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto. I am the son of Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki, and tonight... I am your executioner." Mizuki's eyes were wide with shock at the revelation that the demon child had told him and he struggled to swipe at him with a kunai as the blonde stood up. With one quick flick of his wrist, his blade slashed through his neck, severing his carotid artery and watched as the life drained from the man's eyes. Naruto flicked the blood off of the blade and put the blade back into the scroll before the clone returned with the Scroll of Sealing.

 _Ten Minutes Later_

Iruka's head was throbbing immensely as his vision slowly stared to fade back into view. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. The scarred man's eyes opened wide as he heard the sound of a child sobbing. Bolting up he saw his prized student on his knees crying uncontrollably before the body of his former best friend. Naruto's hands, jacket and face had several bloodstains on them and beside him was a bloodstained kunai. Naruto looked up at his sensei and spojke through gasping cries.

"Ir-kua-sen-sei! I don't know... what... happ-end! I came back... to... help! I used that... **Kage**... **Bunshin** justu from the... scroll... I grabbed a kunai... and... and Mizuki-sensei... he... he..." The boy couldn't speak as the brunette man knelt down and held him in his arms tightly. The blonde hugged him back and began to bawl into his shoulder. He held him in his arms and comforted him as he let all of his emotions out. After several minutes, Naruto's cries died down to mere sniffles. He rubbed his eyes as he looked at Iruka, who simply smiled at him and wiped some tears and blood from his cheek.

"It's going to be okay Naruto. I know you didn't mean to, but sometimes its necessary as a ninja to take a life. Especially in a situation where it's your life or theirs."

"But... I'm not a ninja." Iruka simply smiled as he reached over and took of naruto's goggles before untying his hitai-ate and tying it around the blonde's head.

"Yes you are. Uzumaki Naruto, I officially promote you to the rank of genin. Now what do you say we go get some ramen. I heard that when Teuchi-san found out you had gone missing, he kept Ichiraku's open late in the hopes you'd smell his ramen and come running." The young teacher smiled as Naruto seemed to forget the trauma he just went through as he flashed his foxy grin and followed Iruka back into the village with the Scroll.

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 **And there you have it folks! Chapter three has come and gone! I had a lot of fun writing this one. This was the chapter in my original story where things started to go south plot-wise. So it was an interesting experience cutting out almost all of the chapter and building a new one out of the bones left behind. But that's about it for this chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think, I love getting feedback from my readers, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about where you think the plot is going. Also should I have a list of translations for all the names and jutsus I come up with at the end of these chapters? I'm leaning toward yes, but I also kind of like letting people find out for themselves. Either way it's going to be a fun time. See you next chapter!**

 **~ Ninja**


	4. Mediocrity Wins

**And we're back with Chapter Four! I hope all of you had a most wonderful winter holiday this season. I personally had sensational time celebrating Yule with my closest friends and the Winter Solstice was absolutely gorgeous! A full moon _AND_ meteor showers! What more could you ask for? It was a wonderous sight to behold and I was delighted to be there to witness it. Anyway, we should get back into the story. But first to answer a couple of review questions:**

 **Anon: Yeah I kind of agree. I do like the jutsu translations right after the name. I'm probably going to do that from now on. As for the meanings of names of OCs and things of that nature. I think I'm gonna let those be a mystery for you guys to find out.**

 **Autistic Weaboo: I will be deviating from the plot very soon. However Naruto still has a part to play for now. Things are definitely going to pick up steam once he leaves the village.**

 **And that's all the reviews that I could respond to. Not a lot of feedback on the last chapter. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing yet. Oh well, on with the show!**

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 **"Talking"  
 **"Bijuu  
"Talking"  
**' _Thinking'  
_ _ **'Bijuu Thinking'  
**_ _"Writing"_**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.**

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 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 4: Mediocrity Wins**

 _Hokage Tower_

Hiruzen sat in his chair as he looked over the gathered jonin in the Hokage's office. Sitting on the windowsill was his son, Asuma. He lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke outside so as not to disturb the two kunoichi on the couch beside him. The one who was seated closest to him was one Yuuhi Kurenai, Hiruzen noticed him glancing over at the raven haired beauty affectionately from time to time. It warmed his heart to know that despite many things changing in his son, he still had a soft spot for his childhood friend and teammate. Laying on the couch with her head in the genjutsu mistress' lap was her best friend, Mitirashi Anko. She hummed happily as she ate a stick of dango while her superior, Morino Ibiki, stood in the corner of the room. Maito Gai was seated politely at one of the chairs before his desk. They were simply waiting for two more people to arrive when the door opened. Kakashi gave every one in the room an eye smile as he stepped into the room and gave a bow to the Hokage.

"Sorry I'm late everyone. Gai challenged me to a race around the village. So I went home and took a nap." Gai face faulted and began to make a speech about his eternal rival's unyouthful response to his challenge. However Kakashi seemed blissfully ignorant to the green jumpsuit clad man's ranting as he walked over to the couch and waved at the kunoichi seated there.

"Ohayo Anko-chan, Kurenai-chan. Do you mind if I sit here?" Anko sat up on the couch and patted the empty space beside her.

"Ohayo Kakashi-kun. You're actually on time for once. We're just waiting for Iruka-kun to show up." The silver haired jonin sat down on the couch and turned to the snake mistress.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Anko-chan. I didn't think you had any interest in becoming a sensei. Is Ibiki pushing too much of his work load onto you?" Anko grabbed her stomach as she began to bellow with laughter as Ibiki glared daggers into the back of the cycloptic man's head. After her laughing fit died down and she wiped a tear from her eye, Anko smiled back at Kakashi.

"Hell no. I'd never be caught dead teaching a bunch of gakis. Ibiki and I are just here to turn in a report on a prisoner we've been questioning. Thought I'd stick around and hang out with Nai-chan for a bit afterwards." She put and arm around her best friend's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. The crimson eyed woman smiled and hugged her back. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and pulled out a small orange book. Anko's eyes lit up as she moved and began to read with Kakashi as they both began to stifle giggles, their faces soon began to become beat red. Kurenai let out along drawn out sigh as she rolled her eyes at her friends' antics.

"I can't believe you two enjoy reading such filth, let alone how you can read it so openly." Anko let out another giggle as she turned back to her friend with a devilish grin.

"Because it's so bad! These things are hilarious." The silver haired jonin nodded in agreement as the gathered jonin looked at them in confusion. Kurenai raised an eyebrow and looked at the pair next to her, trying to figure out how to respond to that statement. Though it was Asuma who responded first after taking another drag from his cigarette.

"But I thought the Icha Icha books were supposed to be these incredibly popular, super erotic novels that sell all around the Elemental Nations." Kakashi gave a small chuckle.

"I mean yeah, the sex scenes are graphically written, the descriptions of the locations are vivid, and even the plots are usually half decent. But.." He was interrupted by another fit of laughter from the purple haired woman beside him.

"THE DIALOGUE IS SO BAD! I mean listen to this garbage!" Anko took the book out of Kakashi's hand and began to read aloud a passage where a princess confides in a traveling bard friend about her recent rejection from a Daimyo who was displeased with her personality. He then proceeded to tell her of how he believed her personal bodyguard, a handsome shinobi who was devoted to her in every way, would love her more than any Daimyo before laying her on her bed and making love to her in an attempt to 'make her feel even better.' Needless to say, the gathered jonin were laughing at the preposterous dialogue. Even Ibiki let out a chuckle here and there. Anko was almost on the floor with laughter after she finished reading. Gia shook his head as he had his arms crossed in his chair.

"A most unyouthful display. Seducing someone after telling them to pursue another." Kurenai was almost at a loss for words.

"That's the most unromantic thing I've ever heard. It's as if the author has never even seduced a woman in his life." Hiruzen smiled and took a puff from his pipe, chuckling at the reactions to the book.

"Well I can say that it's not for a lack of trying." The room fell silent as they heard the Hokage's comment on the matter. Asuma looked at his father with a bewildered look, his cigarette almost falling from his lips.

"Are you saying you know the author of these books Pops?" The elderly Kage smiled before blowing a puff of smoke out into the air with a nostalgic gleam in his eyes.

"Yes I do. I have known him since he was quite young. He caught the writing bug early in life. I actually have a book of quite beautiful poetry he's written over the years at the house. However his perverse nature has lead him into quite a large number of troublesome situations and despite his claims to be a great wooer of women, his track record is far from stellar. However despite his faults, he is still a wonderful man and a very dear friend of mine." As Anko was going to press further into the identity of the mysterious author of her and Kakashi's favorite book series, Iruka walked into the office with a stack of envelopes. He rushed in and bowed respectfully. His hair was a bit more disheveled than usual and he looked as if he had been up all night.

"Sorry I'm late Hokage-sama. I was up late filing some last minute paperwork for this years academy graduates." He set down the folders and turned to the gathered jonin before continuing. "Due to the large number of students in this group of graduates, and the selection of one of the graduates to be conscripted into the ANBU, there was an uneven number of students to be placed into three man squads. However due to recent events, that has changed and there is now an additional graduate, as such the graduates can now be placed into regular squads as per usual." The Hokage nodded and thanked Iruka for his hard work and excused him. However he was stopped when the chief interrogator decided to finally speak.

"How did someone suddenly go from not graduating to becoming a genin?" Sarutobi took a few puffs from his pipe before exhaling a large plume of smoke.

"Last night, Uzumaki Naruto stole the Scroll of Sealing from my personal vault." All of the gathered jonin's eyes widened in shock at the news that Naruto had committed such an act of treason. Before anyone could question him further, the Hokage continued to speak. "Apparently, he was working under the guidance of Mizuki. It seems that he had tricked young Naruto into believing that the task was part of an 'Auxiliary Graduation Test' where he was to steal the scroll and learn a jutsu from it. When Mizuki found him, he tried to take the scroll and kill Naruto. However the young man was able to overpower him and defeat him with the use of the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** he had learned from the scroll. Thus, Naruto has been awarded the rank of Genin due to exemplary service to the village." Ibiki let out a small grunt of approval for the young Uzumaki.

"Impressive work for the gaki. Defeating a chunin, even one like Mizuki, is no small feat for a kid like him. But why wasn't Mizuki brought into me or Anko for interrogation? Surely he had plans for the Scroll. I doubt he was working alone."

"Perhaps he wasn't. However we won't be able to know for sure." Kurenai raised her hand.

"Why not?" Hiruzen let out a regretful sigh.

"It would seem that in his emotional state from being betrayed by his teacher and being placed in a life or death situation, Naruto killed Mizuki." A collective gasp ran through the jonins. Kurenai raised her hand to her mouth in shock. Asuma's cigarette and Anko's dango fell from their lips and landed on the floor. Gai was floored and left speechless. The only person who seemed to hold their composure was Kakashi who simply raised his hand politely.

"Something on your mind Kakashi-kun?" Kakashi stood and put away his book inside one of the pockets of his flak jacket. The silver haired man cleared his throat and looked directly at the elderly Kage.

"I would like to make a request for my Genin Squad."

 _Ninja Academy_

Naruto adjusted his forehead protector as he made his way through the gates of the Academy. He saw his fellow graduates entering the building. Following them inside, he made his way into his classroom for the last time. Almost the entire class was present, save for the usual stragglers. He gave a friendly wave to Kiba and Shikamaru who nodded in greeting. Naruto then decided to go and sit down in an empty seat, not noticing or caring who he was seated next to. However Sasuke noticed him sitting beside him and gave him a conceited look.

"Oi, Dobe! What are you doing here?" The last Uchiha said in a voice loud enough to gain the attention of many of their classmates. "This is a gathering for the people who _passed_ the graduation exams. Not losers who couldn't make the cut." A few of the other graduates began to snicker and make comments about how Naruto could be dumb enough to come to the academy even after failing. However the young blonde was completely unfazed as he looked at the duck haired boy beside him with an almost bored expression and adjusted his forehead protector, drawing everyone's eye who could see it.

"Wow those special eyes you prattle on about so much must not work so well if you can't see that I'm wearing a hitai-ate two feet away from you, Sasuke-teme. But before you get indignant and demand to know how I passed. I _earned_ my place here by doing the village a great service." The dark eyed prodigy scoffed at the loser next to him.

"Yeah right. What could a clanless trainwreck of a ninja like you possibly do to help out the village in any way?" Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Sasuke with stare that send a tickle up the last Uchiha's spine.

"I put down a traitorous mongrel." Several students let out a gasp at the jinchuuriki's words. However before anyone could press the blonde further, the room was filled with as loud scream and many had to cover their ears, Kiba opting to cover Akamaru's ears so as not to damage his companion's sensitive hearing.

"SHANNARO! I MADE IT WAY BEFORE YOU INO-PIG! YOU FINALLY MUST HAVE SEEN THAT SASUKE-KUN'S HEART WILL BE MINE!" She was soon followed in by Sasuke's number 2 fan girl, Ino, who had a very confident stride as she walked into the classroom.

"Why would I care if you got into the classroom first, Forehead? When I get placed on a team with Sasuke-kun, I'll have him all to myself. So enjoy this small victory. You'll see, in the war for Sasuke's love, I'll be the winner for sure." Sakura fumed at the platinum blonde's remarks and stomped down the stairs before reaching the place where Naruto and Sasuke where still glaring at each other.

"Naruto-baka! You're in my seat! Move before I put a dent in that empty head of yours!" Naruto let out an exasperated sigh as he turned to look at the pinkette fangirl.

"I was sitting here long before you even entered the gates of the academy. I'm not going to move just because you want to swoon all over your precious Sasuke- _kun_. Now if you could do the world a favor, if you're actually capable of doing so, shut up for five freaking minutes." Everyone watched as Sakura's face became a deep crimson and her eyes seemed to burn with rage. She clenched her fist so tightly that her knuckles were white as she reeled her arm back and sent it flying forward toward the blonde before her.

"BAKA-NARUTOOOO!" His eyes widened slightly as he quickly ducked under the desk. However Sakura couldn't stop her momentum as she had put all of her weight and strength into the punch in order to teach the blonde a lesson. With said blonde now no longer in the path of her fist, it now was heading straight through to the next person behind it. All of the color drained from the pink haired girl as she saw her fist fly straight into the surprised face and eye socket of the handsome, raven haired object of her affections. The whole room fell silent as a resounding CRACK! filled the area and Sasuke was sent hurtling back and hit the back of his head against the wall. Sakura's eyes were wide with shock as she realized what had happened. Naruto just stood up and moved into the aisle and smiled foxily as he scratched his head.

"You know what Sakura, you make a compelling argument. I think you _should_ sit next to Sasuke. I'm going to go over here." Naruto made his way up toward the front of the classroom as Sakura frantically tried to comfort her crush, much to the chagrin of Sasuke and the amusement of many. Sasuke growled in frustration as his eye began to swell. The blonde walked up to a girl with long sandy brown hair tied into a ponytail, two long bangs framing her smooth, attractive face. She wore a black hooded sweatshirt and a set of dark grey ninja cargo pants. She looked up as him from her seat and his cerulean eyes met with her own large, piercing blue set. Naruto gave her a friendly smile as he approached.

"Excuse me, but do you mind if I sit next to you?" The girl smiled slightly and motioned her head to the empty seat beside her.

"Like, go right ahead." Naruto's smile grew as he moved and sat next to the brunette. "That was pretty cool how you handled that situation, you know? Like, that Sasuke guy is really full of himself, you know. I'm Foji Hinoko, nice to actually like, meet you Naruto." She held out her hand and Naruto shook it happily.

"Foji... Hinoko... Oh! You're the one who made that jutsu! **Charka no Hari (Chakra Needles)** , right?" Hinoko nodded "That's such a cool justu! You have to teach it to me some time." The blue eyed girl gave a slight blush as she was complimented for being cool.

"Like, thanks Naruto. Yeah I might be able to like, teach you how to do it, you know." The blonde scratched the back of his head and gave her his famous foxy grin.

"Listen Hinoko-chan, I'm planning on inviting a few of my friends to celebrate becoming genin at Ichiraku Ramen tonight. Would you... I don't know. Want to join us?" Hinoko smiled back at the jinchuuriki.

"I'd like, really like that, you know." The pair smiled brightly at one another. After a short time, Iruka walked into the classroom alone holding a clip board. The chunnin stood before the gathered graduates and called their attention. However there was something off about the situation. When it finally clicked, Shikamaru rose his hand to speak.

"Iruka-sensei... Where is Mizuki-sensei?" Iruka stiffened at the question.

"W-well Shikamaru-kun, Mizuki is... No longer with us."

"What happened to him?" A random student asked.

"Did he quit?" Chimed in another. Iruka sighed as he gripped the bridge of his nose.

"I really was hoping to avoid telling you all this. Mizuki won't ever be returning to his teaching duties because two nights ago... He attempted to steal something of great value from Hokage-sama's home. The item was returned to the Hokage, yet Mizuki did not survive his attempt to flee the village." The class let out a collective gasp and murmurs began to circulate over the revelation that the usually kind and happy teacher was in fact a traitor. However a few eyes shifted over to a certain blonde at the front of the class who seemed to be completely unaffected by the news. It was almost as if he already knew what had happened. Iruka cleared his throat and gained the room's attention once more.

"Now, despite the tragic events regarding Mizuki, we still have business to attend to. Mainly the placement of you all into your genin squads. You will be placed into teams of three and assigned a jonin sensei. However this year we have a bit of exciting news. Foji Hinoko?" Naruto got a nervous look from the girl next to him as she stood and looked at her sensei.

"Y-yes Iruka-sensei?" Iruka smiled and seemed to almost beam with pride.

"Hinoko-chan... It would seem that your exceptional results in tests of teamwork, stealth, and kenjutsu, as well as your **Chakra no Hari** jutsu have caught the eye of several of the higher ups, including Hokage-sama himself. I'm very pleased to inform you that you have been recruited to the ANBU forces. You are to report to the Hokage Tower to meet your Captain after we're concluded here today. Congratulations Hinoko-chan, I'm very proud of you." The brunette was shocked and could only find it in her to blink as she tried to come up with a response. Suddenly she heard a sound from beside her as a certain blonde began to clap while smiling brightly. He was soon joined by the majority of the class as she began to blush slightly from all the attention she was receiving. However a certain spoiled prodigy decided to do what he did best in life and kill the mood as he stood up indignantly.

"Iruka-sensei. I demand to know why _she_ , who isn't even part of a clan gets special treat ment when I, an Uchiha will be getting stuck with a bunch of people who are beneath me. I deserve t-" the Uchiha was interrupted from his rant by a loud bang as every looked to the front of the class and saw Naruto standing up, his fist implanted into a deeply cracked desk his cerulean eyes glaring scournfully at the raven haired boy.

"YOU DESERVE NOTHING BUT THAT BLACK EYE SAKURA GAVE YOU, SASUKE-TEME! HINOKO-CHAN EARNED HER RANK BECAUSE SHE _INVENTED_ A JUTSU! SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN KONOHA FOR OVER A DECADE! WHILE YOU AND YOUR OH SO SPECIAL CLAN DO NOTHING BUT STEAL EVERY JUTSU THEY SEE! NOW SIT DOWN AND STOP TRYING TO STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT TOO!" Sasuke tried to come up with a response to the blonde but said jinchuuriki kept silently glaring and pointing for the young prodigy to sit down, which he soon did and began to brood again. As the class settled back, Iruka let out a sigh as he looked over his clipboard.

"Alright with that out of the way, we can continue with the team assignments. Team 1 will be..." Iruka began for several minutes listing off the assigned teams. "Team 7 will consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchi-"

"YES! TAKE THAT INO-PIG! TRUE LOVE CONQUERS ALL!" A vein in Iruka's temple throbbed before he activated his patented **Akuma Atama no Jutsu (Demon's** **Head)** and began to yell.

"ENOUGH INTERRUPTIONS, DAMN IT!" The scarred chunin cracked his neck and sighed. This class gave him so much stress even after they graduated. "As I was saying, Team 7 will consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuske, and Uzumaki Naruto. Your jonin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 will consist of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba. Your jonin sesei will be Yuuhi Kurenai. Team 9 is still in active duty, so Team 10 will be Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino. Your jonin sensei is Sarutobi Asuma. Your senseis will be along shortly to introduce themselves. Good luck to all of you. I'm very proud to have helped start you on your journey as ninja." After that jonin senseis began to enter into the room and collect their teams. Naruto walked up to Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji to invite them and their teams to dinner. Choji's eyes lit up at the prospect of free food and was cheering Naruto's name as he left with his teammates. Though after almost twenty minutes, every sensei had come to collect their teams, leaving only Team 7 in the empty classroom. Naruto stretched as he looked at his team mates.

"I'm gonna go take a walk. I'll be back in a bit." Naruto only received a grunt of acknowledgement from the Uchiha as Skura tried to take advantage of her time alone with her beloved Sasuke-kun, no no avail. The blonde put his hands in his pockets and made his way up a flight of stairs and opened the door to the rooftop. He smiled as he saw his older brother leaning against the railing reading his favorite book of cheesy smut. He looked up and eye smiled as Naruto walked up and sat on the railing behind him, making sure to sit so that he was next to his exposed eye. It was hard enough to read Kakashi as it was without having to face a side of the silver haired man thatr was completely covered.

"Milking your reputation, I see. How long are you going to keep them waiting down there?" Kakashi pulled back one of his sleeves, exposing a watch and let out a hum as he thought out his response.

"I'll give it another two hours or so. Just enough time to get to finish my favorite part of the book." Naruto smirked as he took out a small scroll and unsealed his guitar before beginning to play a series of elegant and pleasant melodies on the instrument. Kakashi smiled, he'd been surprised to hear that he had wanted to take up music as a hobby but he had to admit, his little brother had taken to it quite well.

"So what happened to Sasuke's face? He looks like he got stung by a giant Aburame bug." Naruto chuckled as he continued to play.

"Sakura tried to punch me in the head but I dodged and she ended up punching Sasuke in the eye. You should have seen her face, it was absolutely priceless."

"I'll bet. You could probably see it in her face as you ducked. Just seeing her in her mind going 'Oh no. I fucked up!" Kakashi chuckled as he did his best teenage girl voice to try and imitate the pinkette.

"You mean _eye_ fucked up. Like E-Y-E?" Naruto smirked at the clever wordplay as he looked over to his brother who seemed to be absorbed back into his book before he quirked his eyebrow in confusion.

"E-Y-E? That's ewe." Naruto struck a sour chord as he stopped playing and slowly turned his head up to look at his brother, his eyes wide as he processed what the jonin beside him had said so casually. He could feel his tenant face fault with in his mind, what he wished to be able to see that look on the mighty bijuu's face.

 **"** Are **you** fucking **serious** right **now**? **'** Naruto and Kyuubi both said in unison. "E-W-E is ewe, Kakashi-nii."

"E-Y-E -Oh crap. My bad. I was thinking of that." Kakashi's face went red with embarrassment and Naruto burst into a fit of howling laughter, almost losing balance and falling off of the railing. He could even feel the Kyuubi rolling around as hysterical laughter echoed in his mind.

"Oh by Kami!" The former ANBU Captain was turning redder by the second as he tried to recover his dignity from such a simple mental slip up.

"It's not a big deal, Naruto. I just misheard you and misthought it."

"You did not mishear me, you repeated it back to me! You misspelled it! A three letter word! You want to try spelling 'The', Kakashi-nii?" the blonde jinchuukiki pulled his forehead protector down to cover his left eye as he imitated his new sensei. "What's this word? T-Hee-Ee?"

"You know, maybe I shouldn't keep those two waiting now that I think about it."

"Don't try to change the subject! You can't spell 'eye'! The only way it could have been any worse is if I was asking you to spell out the letter 'I'! Oh Kami, I am _never_ letting you live this down!" Kakashi let out a defeated sigh as he slumped down onto the ground.

"Kuso." Taking out his book he began to read once more. Naruto simply wiped a tear away from his eye and began to play once again, occasionally chuckling to himself as his tenant replayed the scene in his mind for their shared amusement.

 _Two and a Half Hours Later…_

"SHANNARO! IT'S BEEN THREE HOURS AND THERE IS NO SIGN OF OUR SENSEI! THAT BAKA NARUTO HAS GONE MISSING AS WELL!" The pink haired banshee shrieked out in frustration as she paced back and forth up and down the stairs of the class room. Sasuke on the other hand, had moved from his usual seat by the window and had taken up sitting in Iruka's swiveling desk chair. He had actually succumb to his own boredom and begun trying to stick pencils and various other pointy objects into the ceiling with varying degrees of success. He'd recently discovered that straightened paper clips were the most successful, as they acted similar to senbon needles. This was the scene that the Kakashi came upon when he finally opened the door to the classroom. Sakura turned her attention to him and screamed.

"YOU'RE LATE!" The silver haired jounin simply stared at the two with a bored expression.

"My first impression of you… Is not promising. Now meet me and your team mate on the roof in one minute or you're both dropped from the program." The cycloptic man stated before dispersing in a plume of smoke. Sasuke and Sakura immediately shot out of the room as fast as they could as they made their way toward the roof of the academy, clambering over each other in the stairway before bursting out of the door onto the rooftop. The silver haired man that was now their jonin sensei was leaning against the railing spinning a kunai by the ring around his finger with a bored expression as Naruto sat on an air condition vent enjoying a to-go bowl of Ichiraku Ramen. Kakashi gave the pair an eye smile as he stood up from the railing.

"Alright. Now that everyone is here, we can get started. Take a seat." Sakura and Sasuke sat down on the steps in front of the railing as the blonde finished his bowl. With a contented sigh, Naruto joined his teammates on the steps. The one eyed jonin put the kunai away and looked over the trio with his one visible eye.

"So, I think one of the best ways for me to get to know you three is to start with some basic introductions. Just the basics. Names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future." Sakura leaned forward and smiled as sweetly as she could as she attempted to get to learn something about their sensei.

"I don't think I understand, Kakashi-sensei. Maybe we'd get the idea better if you started us off." Kakashi shrugged

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes... My dreams for the future... Hmmm... As for my hobbies... I have lots of them." His students face faulted as he gave the biggest non-answer they'd ever heard. Sakura grumbled that all they had learned was their sensei's name, a fact they already knew. He then pointed to Naruto. "So, you're up Whiskers."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, beautiful women, and breakfast food. I dislike ignorant, judgemental people, people who take advantage of others because they believe they're better than everyone, and the time it takes for ramen to cook. My hobbies are training and listening to music. And my dream is to finally be treated with respect and not looked down on by everyone, even if I have to become Hokage!" The two genin beside him simply rolled their eyes at their teammates response as Kakashi smiled under his mask. He then turned to the pinkette on the other end of the group.

"And you Pinkie?"

"My name isn't Pinkie! It's Haruno Sakura and well... I like..." Sakura looked over at the Uchiha next to her and let out a small squeal as she blushed. "My hobby is..." Another glace and squeal. "And my dream is..." One final glance at Sasuke as she squealed loudly and blush a deep red. Kakashi just looked at her with a deadpan stare.

"And things you dislike?"

"Naruto-baka and Ino-pig!" Kakashi gripped the brodge of his nose and shook his head. He was expecting this but nothing could prepare him for how deep down the Sasuke Hole the pink haired girl had sunken.

"Well that was just unsettling. I guess that just leaves you, Gloomy." Sasuke let out a grunt of disapproval as he stared out over his laced fingers into the distance... or into Kakashi's crotch, it was honestly kind of hard to tell.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike many things and don't like much. I don't have any hobbies. I also don't have any dreams, what I have is an ambition. I will restore my clan to it's former glory and I will, without fail, kill a certain man." Sakura let out a small squeal as she praised Sasuke for his coolness. Naruto on the other hand just looked at his teammate incredulously.

"Lighten up, Gesuyaro. (Asshole)"

"Naruto, stop insulting your team mate! Sasuke... He's right though, lighten the fuck up. Anywho, I think that's enough fun for today. Tommorow we'll meet up at Training Ground 7 at 0900, sharp. Also don't eat anything, otherwise you'll throw up." With a wave and another of his patented eye smiles, Kakashi shunshined away leaving the trio alone on the roof. Sakura let out shriek of rage.

"WE WAITED THREE WHOLE HOURS JUST FOR THAT!? WHAT A WASTE OF OUR TIME!" Sasuke hmphed and stood up before walking toward the door to the stairwell. The pink haired fangirl noticing him starting to leave, snapped out of her rage and began to follow him in hopes of getting a date. Naruto waited until the pair were gone before grabbing a scroll out of his jacket pocket and sat back on the air vent, looking up at the clouds as he unsealed his guitar and began to play once more.

 _'I can see why Shikamaru loves looking at these so much. They're beautiful... and free...'_

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 **Alright, another chapter in the bag. I don't have much else to say on this one other than I basically had to write 95% of this chapter from scratch. This was the last chapter of the original story that I had to revise to get it onto the track I really want it to go on. So next chapter will be completely from scratch with nothing for me to jump off from or tweak and improve. Just a blank word processor and a head full of ideas. However it won't be coming out as soon as the other chapters of this story have. I have another ongoing story I need to get back to and update called Namikaze Naruto: Son of Madalore, so I will be updating that first. Also I've been working on a small little story for the _Dungeons & Dragons_ section. So I'll probably be updating this some time next month though.**

 **So that's pretty much it. Leave a review and let me know what you think. I love feedback from my readers and try to answer your guys' questions as best as I can. Follow this story if you think it's cool and I'll see you all next chapter! Have a Happy New Year!**

 **~ Ninja**


	5. Finding My Way

**Whoo! Happy celebration of a nebulous concept everyone! Our planet has finished a full rotation around the sun, and I am super excited of what is to come in this year. I've started this year out right by updating my other ongoing story, Namikaze Naruto: Son of Mandalore, which is a Naruto/Star Wars crossover where Naruto DOESN'T become a Jedi! Also I published a fun little story to the _Dungeons and Dragons_ section... which immediately got taken down because it didn't star established D&D characters like that Mary Sue, Drizzt. So I uploaded that onto Wattpad. Check it out if you're also a D&D nerd like me or are curious about my original writing. Anyway let's answer some review!**

 **...**

 **And that's it for last chapters reviews! On with the show!**

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"Talking"  
 **"Bijuu  
"Talking"  
**' _Thinking'  
_ _ **'Bijuu Thinking'  
**_ _"Writing"_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the music mentioned in this chapter.**

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 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 5: Finding My Way**

 _Ichiraku Ramen, Later That Night_

"Where's Naruto? He said he was going to buy us all dinner! I'm starving!" Choji cried out and held his stomach as it let out another rumble. He sat at the counter at Ichiraku, he looked over at the almost full ramen stand. To his left was Ino, who sat on the end seat. To his right were his best friend Shikamaru as well as Shino, Kiba and Hinata with only a single seat open between the two groups. Shikamaru let out a sigh as his friend complained. The lazy genius looked up at the clock. Naruto had asked them to meet up at 7 o'clock and it was nearly 7:15.

"Relax Choji, he's only fifteen minutes late. I'm sure he'll be here. He's never broken a promise in his life." Choji pouted at his friend's relaxed nature. He could understand him not being enthusiastic about homework, but it was incomprehensible to the Akimichi Clan heir for anyone to be so casual about food.

"I give him five minutes before I'm out of here! I'm missing out on Hana's cooking! She was going to make nankotsu tonight!" Kiba growled as he tapped the counter impatiently, his talking of food only making Choji's stomach growl even more. He turned to his teammates to gauge their reactions to the situation. However he was disappointed that they weren't as upset as he was. Shino simply sat patiently with his jacket unzipped enough to allow him to drink a cup of tea while still obscuring his features. Hinata on the other hand seemed lost in her own world as she was staring at the menu on the counter before her with a deep blush on her cheeks as she pressed her index fingers together.

' _I can't believe it! Naruto-kun invited me to dinner!''_ Everyone turned as the flap of the stand rustled and a new customer entered the ramen stand. He dusted off his long dirty brown coat and walked up to the empty seat. He was carrying a black plastic bag which he set down on the counter and looked over the menu.

"Hmm… Man such a good selection. I don't know what to order. What do you guys think? Shrimp? Beef? Chicken? You know what? You're right. It's a special occasion. One of each!" Shikamaru turned to the young man who had sat between him and Shino as he talked to them in a very familial way. He was a teen just about their age with shaggy brown hair, bright blue eyes, and he had blue markings running from above his eyes down to cover his cheeks.

"Excuse me. But I don't think we know you. Also I don't mean to be rude, but we were saving that seat for someone." The teen turned and flashed him a large vulpine grin.

"I'm someone." Shikamaru was about to respond when the waitress Ayame walked out from the back and smiled brightly as she saw the newcomer. She walked over and wrapped him a tight hug. The group watched the awkward angle that the two embraced each other over the counter.

"Konbanwa, Naruto-kun! It's been almost a week since you came in while I was working! I was beginning to think you were avoiding me." The group stared in confusion at the pair before the teen began to laugh and grabbed his hair, pulling it off of his head to reveal it to be a wig, a shock of spiky golden blonde hair waiting beneath. He took a small container out of one of his pockets and slowly pulled off the blue markings on his cheeks, placing them neatly into the container before putting it away. He scratched his head as he smiled at the pretty brunette.

"Heya Ayame-chan. I was here earlier but Teuchi-san said you were on break." The gathered teens were all staring at the pair as they exchanged pleasantries as if it was a normal occurrence for the blonde to come into his favorite food stand in the world wearing a disguise. Choji was about to chastise Naruto for being so late when the blonde turned and smiled to his friends.

"Alright guys, like I said, dinner's on me tonight! We finally made it!" Choji and Kiba's eyes lit up as they immediately shouted their orders. Shikamaru ordered a seafood mix with extra kombu, Ino simply asked for a bowl of vegetable ramen, while Hinata quietly told Ayame that she'd have whatever Naturo was ordering. Shino set down his tea cup and zipped his jacket before turning to the blonde beside him, pointing to his outfit.

"Ano, Naruto-san. But why were you wearing a disguise?"

"Oh this? Well the guy who owns the record store doesn't really like me very much and overcharges me... a lot. So whenever go to buy a record, I go in disguise so I can get a fair price. I got the idea for the look after I met a reporter who looked like this a couple years ago. Nice guy. Hey… Where's Hinoko-chan? I invited her too. That's disappointing." The gathered group simply shrugged as she hadn't shown up yet. Naruto shrugged and let out a slightly disappointed sigh. Hinata gathered up a spark of courage and spoke up to her lifelong crush.

"W-what did y-you get at th-the r-record store, N-Nar-tuto-kun?" Naruto's expression changed and he smiled brightly as he pulled out a record from his bag. It was a 45 disc with a beautiful artwork of a red rose with dead blackened outer petals flying off into the air before a plain white background. In an elegant calligraphy font read a single word. _Amaranthine_.

"It's the new single from a band I really like called Amaranthe. They're really cool. They've got three vocalists." Hinata blushed even deeper at the way that Naruto seemed to shine as he talked. He beamed with the same enthusiasm that she saw whenever he talked about anything he was truly passionate about. Ino looked over at the record sleeve and smiled teasingly at the blonde.

"So they named themselves after a flower. I didn't know you were into those kinds of groups." Naruto smiled unbothered by her slight jape at his musical tastes. He simply returned the smile and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Of course. They're amazing. I honestly think they're so much better than the majority of the stuff you hear on the radio." Ino pouted as she handed the record back

"What's wrong with radio? I like listening to the radio whenever I work at my family's flower shop."

"Nothing's really wrong with it. You're free to like what you like. I just prefer not to listen to 'artists' who think that 'La-la's, 'Na-na's, and 'Doot-doot's are acceptable substitutes for putting in the effort to sit down write legitimate lyrics." The platinum blonde was definitely one to dish out the occasional teasing to her friends. Yet she was also one to not let jabs back at her let her get too upset… most of time. Though she really couldn't find a rebuttle for Naruto as one of the songs she heard on the radio quite frequently had a chorus that ended in a series of 'Na-na-na's. She'd even found herself dancing to it on occasion. Shino let out a subdued chuckle as he received another cup of tea.

"To think… That the one thing that you would have high standards about, Naruto. Music was not what I was expecting." Naruto let out a chuckle and Shino smirked behind his coat as he brought the tea cup to his lips and took a sip. Soon the group's ramen had arrived and they began to eat and talk about their days, their first impressions of their senseis, and how excited they were about the prospect of becoming genin. The group began to laugh and joke as they enjoyed their time together. After about an hour the flap on the stand moved as a familiar ponytailed brunette stepped in and looked at the gathered group . Hinoko raised a brow at the sight of her former classmates.

"Like, sorry I'm late. My ANBU orientation took a lot longer than I expected, you know. Like, I must have missed one heck of a party. It looks like Hinata, Choji and Naruto are in an eating contest, and why is Naruto like, wearing eyeshadow?" The group looked around to see that Choji had accumulated a stack of eighteen bowls of ramen, Naruto had twenty-four bowl in a stack by him, and shockingly Hinata let out a contented sigh as she finished off her _twenty-sixth_ bowl of ramen. The gathered graduates were beginning to wonder how Naruto planning on paying for all of the food they had eaten.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Teuchi-san." The ramen stand owner smiled brightly as he and his daughter took away the empty bowls. He hadn't seen anyone eat more than Naruto since his mother used to come by the stand. Naruto stood up from his chair and patted it as he smiled at the newcomer.

"Well I just wanted to look pretty for you, Hinoko-chan. Come take a seat. Order what you like, dinner's on me." Hinoko blushed slightly at the honorific as she walked up to the seat. Usually she hated being so feminine, even her name irked her. But for some reason the blonde had made her blush twice in one day. She pulled up the chair and ordered a bowl of miso pork. She picked up the record that was left on the counter and held it up inquisitively.

"Like, what's this?"

"Just something I picked up today." Naruto replied with a shrug, not wanting to get into a repeat of the conversation he'd had earlier. Hinoko looked over the album and hummed to herself.

"Looks cool. I wouldn't mind, like giving it a listen, you know." Naruto's expression lightened and he smiled brightly as he handed the record over to Ayame with a hopeful look in his eyes. The young woman smiled warmly. This wasn't the first time had come to the stand with a fresh record he had purchased. He liked to listen to them while he indulged in his favorite food. Naruto always made sure the records that he brought by weren't anything too out there, so the brunette waitress had made sure to keep a small record player in the shop for just these occasions.

Once Ayame placed the needle on the vinyl, the gathered group of teens tuned intently in as they listened to the music. I single soft piano chord rang out before a woman's melodious voice swam into their minds and with words of such elegant beauty, sang of the preciousness of he love. Of how true her love was and how it was endless, amaranthine. Soon the music picked up in intensity as a man's voice came in and sang with the same passion. Recalling the same expressions of endless and strong love for someone. Finally with one more increase in the ferocity of emotion, a third singer came in, releasing vocals that were a cross between a growl and a scream. However despite the fierceness of the vocalist, the message of the lyrics still came through of a love so strong and passionate that even time meant nothing. Once the record stopped playing there was a gathered release of breath that many of them hadn't realized that they were holding. Ino stood up and put her hand on Naruto's shoulder and gave him a small pat.

"That was… That was really good. I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for dinner, Naruto. Come by the shop sometime." She walked out of the stand and made her way home, the song still ringing in her ears. Shikamaru stood up next and put his hands in his pockets. He made a comment about his mother probably needing him to do something at home before leaving the stand. Kiba and Akamaru gave the blonde a smile and a nuzzle respectively before they headed home. Shortly after the pair left, a Hyuuga attendant came to retrieve Hinata who bowed and stutteringly thanked Naruto for a wonderful night. She made a mental note to purchase that song and think of her crush every time she heard it.

"Hey Naruto, you sure you can pay for all of this by yourself? I mean, I'd feel kind of bad if we ate you out of all of your money." Choji asked and reached for his wallet as he got out of his seat. Naruto gave him a friendly smile and grabbed his arm gently, giving him a reassuring pat.

"It's okay Choji, I saved up for tonight. Who knows when we'll see each other again now that we're ninja. It was nice to have dinner with my closest friends. Don't worry about it. Have a good night." Choji smiled brightly and gave his friend a hug before leaving. Shino set down his tea cup and gave Naruto a bow and thanked him before he left, leaving only Naruto and Hinoko to sit as she received her bowl of ramen. Naruto reached into his coat and pulled out a large stack of ryo and placed it on the counter. He turned to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the blue eyed girl who smiled warmly.

"Like, you're not gonna stay with me. That'd be lie, a real dick move, you know." Naruto smiled appreciatively as he sat on the chair beside his new friend. She began to eat her noodles and let out a sigh as she elated over the heavenly taste. She looked down at the bowl with a slightly sad expression on her face.

"You know, with me joining the ANBU. I won't be like, seeing a lot of you guys, you know? So this really means a lot to me, Naruto. I'm like, really glad that I met you today." Naruto wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a warm hug.

"I'm really glad too." The two sat in the small ramen stand for a while, enjoying each other's company before they too eventually parted ways. Naruto put on his wig and walked of toward his apartment gazing up at the moon in the clear starlit sky. He let out a sullen sigh as he walked the near empty streets. As he unlocked the front door to his apartment the blonde heard a voice in the back of his mind.

' _ **Twas certainly an interesting night to say the least. But why did it feel like a last supper rather than a pleasant night out among friends?'**_ Naruto walked over to his closet and placed the coats on their racks as he reverted to his natural form. He began to undress before lying in his bed. He looked out his window into the village with a somber gaze.

' _Kyuubi-sensei… With my luck. I think we should be out of this village sooner than we imagined.'_ The blonde jinchuuriki closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His tenant let out a soft chuckle at the young man's words. He had a point, throughout his entire life Naruto had endured through a combination of endless tenacity, trained skill, and ludicrous amount of sheer dumb luck. The biju smiled to itself. Perhaps tonight it's tenant deserved a peaceful nights sleep.

 _Training Ground 7, 1 PM_

Naruto let out a sigh as her looked up at his older brother from his position tied to the log. He'd made a fool out of himself once again in order to keep up appearances, and to help his new teammates understand the meaning behind Kakashi's bell test. Unfortunately it went about as well as expected and Naruto still had to do a majority of work to get the bells for his team. After his teammate had left, Sasuke heading to the Uchiha compound and Sakura following him in hopes of getting a date, Naruto was left with his brother who gave him an eye smile as he squatted down and patted his head.

"Congratulations Otouto. You're officially a genin. I think that calls for a special reward." As Naruto freed himself from the simple bindings, Kakashi pulled out a long, small black velvet box and handed it to the young blonde. Naruto quirked an eyebrow as he took the box.

"Um… Thanks Kakashi-nii. But I'm not really the jewelry type." The silver haired jonin chuckled as his younger brother opened the box and found a crimson scroll nestled snugly within the box. Unravelling the scroll, he found it to be a storage scroll with something already stored within. He bit his thumb and brushed the fresh blood across the seal, channeling chakra into his thumb as he did so. A white plume of smoke covered the genin's hands and lap before clearing to reveal a brand new electric guitar. Kakashi's eye smile broadened.

"I had it commissioned it from a craftsmen in the Land of Forests during a week long mission last month. It's a semi-hollow body, I heard you talking about wanting one while you were practicing." Naruto's right hand caressed the matte black finish of the body and the smooth glossy burnt orange finish of the moderately sized pick guard. His eyes traveled up to the neck and he slid his hand up to a resting position. The fret board had been meticulously crafted with a custom set of ivory inlays that depicted a nine-tailed fox clawing its way up the neck toward the spiral emblem of the Uzumaki Clan. He gave it a strum and smiled as a chord rang out. The instrument was truly a masterpiece. Setting down the instrument carefully on the grass, Naruto stood up and wrapped his arms around his elder brother tightly.

"Thank you Kakashi-nii. I'll treasure this forever." Kakashi patted his younger sibling on the head

"You deserve it Naruto. You've worked so hard to get to where you are now. It's going to hurt to see you leave if you still decide to do so. I just thought you might like something to remember me by." Naruto looked up into the one eye of his sensei smiling brightly.

"Like I could ever forget my Aniki" Kakashi laughed as he let go of his student. He stepped back and pulled out a pair of boken. He got into a battle ready stance and stared at Naruto with an energetic gleam in his eye.

"Alright Naruto. I think it's time we do some more kenjutsu training. Let's see what you've learned." The jonin tossed the boken to his student who smirked and got into a similar stance as the two began to train for the rest of the day.

 _Hokage Tower, One Month Later_

Team 7 looked like they'd been through hell as they stood before the Hokage and his attendants. Their hair was wild and full of broken twigs and leaves, clothes torn and slashed in several places, and their faces and arms covered in numerous scratches. The only one who seemed fine was their sensei who stood blissfully unaware of his team's current predicament as he stood behind them reading his favorite orange book. To the side of the room, the Fire Daimyo's wife was currently suffocating the source of the genin's misery with affection as the demon cat, Tora, desperately tried to escape her clutches while she walked out of the briefing room. The Hokage looked over the paperwork for the mission handouts.

"You've done well Team 7. You were able to reunite Tora with his owner in just under forty-five minutes. That's just underTeam Gai's record of forty flat. A commendable feat. You'll all recieve a little bonus for your efforts in completing the mission with such vigor. Now as for your next assignment. There are several to choose from. Inuzuka Hana needs some temporary assistance with cleaning the kennels at the Ninja Animal Veterinary Clinic. There are some jonin mothers who need babysitters while they return to active duty… and lets see what else…" The Hokage rummaged through the files before a shriek filed in from down the hall.

"MY SWEET BABY, NO! COME BACK TO MOMMY!"

"Ah yes and Tora's escaped once again." Naruto smacked his palm against his forehead and growled loudly. He let out a frustrated cry and looked at the elderly village leader with a blaze of determination.

"This is absolutely ridiculous and demeaning! We didn't spend ten years training in the Academy just to be glorified menial labor and cat catchers! Hokage-rojin, we deserve something better!" Sakura huffed and agreed with the blonde. Even Sasuke gave a nod in agreement. Hiruzen smiled at the boy's nickname for him. He still hadn't earned the name of grandfather back from the blonde, but he was happy that he had given him a new nickname none the less. The wounds were starting to heal. Iruka on the other hand was not having any of Naruto's attitude as he slammed his hand onto the desk.

"Naruto! You show Hokage-sama the respect he deserves. You all just graduated, as such you haven't had enough experience for-" The chunin was silenced as the Sandaime placed his hand on his shoulder. He bowed respectfully and sat back in his seat. Hiruzen lit his pipe and looked over the genin squad.

"It's fine Iruka-kun. Naurto-kun and I have always had this kind of relationship. As for your request, Naruto. I can see your point. Kakashi has taught you all the importance of teamwork and I believe that you should be ready to take on a slightly tougher challenge. Iruka, if you could send in Tazuna-san. Your next mission Team 7, will be to escort the bridge builder Tazuna back to Nami no Kuni and guard him from bandits while he completes a bridge connecting our two countries." Iruka bowed as he walked over to a door and opened it revealing a man in his upper middle-age with half full bottle of sake in his hand with the other half on his breath. He staggered in and gave the group of teens a once over before belching and exclaiming.

"These are the ninja who are going to be guarding me while I complete my masterpiece?! I am Tazuna, the great bridge builder! These kids look like a strong wind could knock them out." Kakashi gripped Naruto and Sasuke's shoulders tightly as the began to growl, stifling their attempts at a rebuttal at their client's drunken insults. The jonin let out a chuckle as he patted them on the heads.

"Worry not Tazuna-san. My students are very capable of protecting you from any bandits that we might come across. I, their jonin sensei, will also be accompanying you. We should be more than qualified for the task." The bridge builder took in the information and gave the group a stern look before wiping his nose and grumbling.

"I don't like it very much. But it'll have to do. We'll meet at the village gate in one hour." The bridge builder then turned and walked out of the room as he uncorked the bottle and began to drink like a nursing baby. Kakashi send his students home to pack for their mission. The Hokage smiled as he watched them leave, pulling out and old picture of a four year old Naruto wearing his hat. He was happy to see his surrogate grandson starting down the path to become Hokage.

 _One Month Later_

"Yosh! I can't believe that Hokage-sama gave us a week off from missions, Gai-sensei!" A genin with jet black hair in a bowl cut exclaimed as he pumped his fist into air. He was clad in a one piece green jumpsuit and bright orange leg warmers, arm wrappings, and a Konoha hitae-ate tied around his waist like a belt. He was accompanied by two other genin. One, a girl with dark brown hair tied up into two buns on either side of her head clad in a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse and dark green ninja pants. She smiled as she thought of what she would do with her time off. The other was a stern looking teenager with long dark brown hair and pale featureless eyes. He wore a beige jacket and brown shorts which showed off the wrappings on his right leg and arm.

"You all earned this wonderful gift, my most youthful students! You've worked hard and your efforts have wrought the ripe and delicious fruits of victory! However we must not squander this time that has been given to us so graciously! The Springtime of Youth only lasts for so long and we must embrace it wholeheartedly! We will use this time wisely to enhance our strength and become even greater than we are now!" Shouted a man dressed identically to the young genin, save for a jonin vest. The younger miniature of this man, Maito Gai, had stars in his eyes as he marvelled at the power and confidence of his sensei.

"YOSH! Gai-sensei! How did you become so youthful?" Gai clapped a hand onto his young student's shoulder and flashed his patented Good Guy Smile.

"Well Lee, I strive to become a better me every day and brighten the Flames of Youth that burn within me so that I can keep up with my eternal rival. The master of everything Cool and Hip, Hatake Kakashi!" the star's in Lee's eyes turned to flames of determination as he turned to the pale eyed genin beside him.

"Neji-kun! Let's become rivals so that we can stoke our Flames of Youth and make them burn brighter!" Neji simply stared at his odd teammate.

"No." Lee began to cry tears of despair as he tried to convince his teammate to change his mind.

Gai began to cry profusely as flashbacks flooded his mind of when he had first challenged Kakashi and the hip way that he had refused him. He was drawn from his memories as an aura of melancholy and anguish that Gai hadn't felt in years passed by the group. Gai looked to see his eternal rival moving down the hall toward the briefing room with slow movements. He quietly dismissed his team and followed his childhood friend with deep concern.

 _Yamanaka Flower Shop_

Ino walked out of the front door of her family's shop with her team waiting for her outside, ready to meet up for a day of training with their sensei. Shikamaru sighed and leaned against the wall of the shop as Choji commented about his growling stomach. Ino was going to scold the two of them for their indifferent and lax attitude toward their training as ninja when she saw two familiar faces walking up towards them. Ino smiled as she saw he former best friend walk up toward them with her crush following behind.

"Hey guys! I heard you guys got your first C-Rank mission. I bet Sasuke-kun carried your butt all the way through it Forehead. Where's Naruto? Probably scarfing down a bunch of ramen, right. Hey Forehead! You listening to me? Forehead?... Sakura?" The platinum blonde's face shifted from her usual cocky grin to legitimate concern as her childhood best friend remained silent trembling as she walked up to her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the mention of their teammate. Ino was shocked as the pinkette pulled her into a vice like embrace and began to bawl uncontrollably. The gathered genin looked to the Uchiha for clarification and they let out a collective gasp as the crimson tomoed eyes of the Sharingan stared back at them somberly.

 _Mission Briefing Room, Hokage Tower_

"Ah Kakashi-kun! Welcome back! I hope the mission went well." Hiruzen smiled brightly as Kakashi stepped into the room followed by Gai. However the mood in the room dimmed as the silver haired silently made his way to the center of the room and bowed on his knees, his forehead to the ground penitently.

"The mission to Nami no Kuni was a success. Tazuna has finished the bridge and has signed a contract stating that all merchants and travelers coming from Konohagakure will not pay a travel tax when crossing his bridge." Kakakashi spoke shakily, it was not characteristic of the calm and composed former ANBU captain. To say that everyone was concerned would be a grave understatement.

"Why would he do something so generous? You simply guarded him from bandits, correct?" Hiruzen leaned forward intently.

"It would seem the client had lied about the severity of the mission as a shipping magnate by the name of Gato had put a stranglehold on Nami no Kumi's resources. We were not to protect him from mere bandits Hokage-sama. Gato had hired missing nin from Kiri to assassinate Tazuna-san. I should have called for back-up and let someone else take care of it when I found out, but my team… they were so ready to prove themselves to you. I'm so sorry. The mission however, was a success. I've sent Sasuke and Sakura home to rest." Iruka spoke up next after Kakashi gave his report on the true nature of the mission. His voice shaky as he feared what the answer to his next question might be.

"...And what about Naruto-kun?" Kakashi bit his lip to hold back tears but to no avail as tears began to flow as he lifted his head to look at the village leader. He trembled greatly and everyone gasped in horror as he pulled a black sealing scroll from the inside of his flak jacket with a read kanji for 'Body' on the seal. Hiruzen dropped his pipe and Iruka fell to his knees with his hands covering his mouth as both began to feel a flood of tears break through the damn. Kakashi began to weep openly.

"Sensei… Kusina-senpai… I'm so sorry." After several minutes Sarutobi's expression darkened as he wiped the final tears from his eyes. He glared down at the last Hatake and stated in a commanding tone that demanded an immediate answer.

"Tell me everything Kakashi… What. Happened. To. My. Grandson?"

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 **CLIFFHANGER NO JUTSU! Oh man don't you just hate it when that happens? Something super dramatic happens and them BAM! Chapter's over! Yeah me neither, that's why I did it! But so much to discover. So many questions left unanswered! What happened on the mission to Wave? What happened to Naruto? What will become of Team 7? Why can't we get a Dungeons & Dragons movie that doesn't suck half-rotted LICH DICK?! ...Actually that last one might just be a question on my mind.**

 **Anyway, leave a review letting me know what you thought. I love getting feedback and try to answer all of you guys the best I can. Also if you haven't already, follow this story to join me on this adventure. I'm having a blast writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. So until next chapter... I'll see you later.**

 **~ Ninja**


	6. My Famed Disappearing Act

**Alrighty! Here we are, chapter 6! We're almost up to as many followers as the original story had before my hiatus from writing. I'm can't express my joy enough at how much you all enjoy this story. I was going to write another chapter of Son of Mandalore but i was too excited to write this chapter. The concept for this chapter is what made me want to write this story in the first place several years ago. When I had this idea I was inspired to write a story around it and so I couldn't put it off any longer. So before we begin, I'd like to respond to some reviews since last update.**

 **Dzerx: I mean... maybe.**

 **Nierra: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for the Civil War.. Maybe. Zabuza's coup was only a year ago. Yagura's still alive.**

 **Pat123: I feel like you've helped me reach a milestone in my writing career. But yeah, I teared up while writing that part as well as parts of this chapter.**

 **RurikBeserk: Yeah the Cliffhanger no Jutsu is a devastating one. But forunately you only had to wait two weeks for an update.**

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"Talking"  
 **"Bijuu  
"Talking"  
**' _Thinking'  
_ _ **'Bijuu Thinking'  
**_ _"Writing"_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any other the other intellectual properties referenced in this story**

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 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 6: My Famed Disappearing Act**

 _One Week Earlier_

 _'This was a bad idea. We should have called for backup. I guess it's too late now.'_ Kakashi made his way down the stairs of their client, Tazuna's home, his favorite book held in his hand as he walked. The bridge builder had been gracious enough to let Team 7 stay with him and his daughter Tsunami, as well as her son Inari until the bridge was completed. As he hobbled his way into the kitchen he could hear his team's muddled squabbling becoming clearer. He sighed and put on a fake smile to try and break up the tension. However when Kakashi entered the room, no one noticed him as a fist slammed on the kitchen table and Inari was glaring at Sasuke and Naruto, his nostrils flaring and tears welling up in his eyes.

"WHY ARE YOU WORKING SO HARD? ALL YOUR TRAINING IS FOR NOTHING IF YOU PLAN TO FACE AGAINST GATO! NO ONE CAN BEAT HIM! IT'S POINTLESS! YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" Inari yelled bringing a silence across the entire household. Naruto scoffed and brushed off a bit of dirt from his arm as he sent an irreverent glare back at the child.

"Tsk. Don't lump me in with you, kid. We're nothing alike." Irani's face turned red and he grit his teeth at the blonde's attitude. Tears began to flow freely as he shouted.

"I'D HATE TO BE LIKE YOU, YOU CLOWN! ALL YOU EVER DO IS JOKE AROUND AND ACT CHEERFUL! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS COUNTRY! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME! AND YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW HARD LIFE CAN BE!" The temperature in the room became noticeably colder and the air became slightly harder to breathe once the boy had finished screaming. The silver haired jonin grew nervous as the blonde teen glared back at the child, the cracks in his cheerful knucklehead persona straining to keep themselves up as a few chips fell away.

"Gaki… You have no idea the kind of hell life can be. I know all too well how cruel the world can be. I've survived it. You wanna know why I joke around and act cheerful? Do you?! It's because I thank Kami EVERY DAMNED DAY THAT I'M STILL HERE! So you can stay here having a pity party for yourself because life dealt you a shit hand and cry like the sissy gaki you are! But I'm going to do something with whatever time I have left!" The young boy ran off crying onto the porch. Sakura fumed as she turned toward Naruto as he walked away from the table.

"Nice going Naruto-baka! Cha! You can be so tactless sometimes!" Naruto let out an indignant grunt at the pink haired kunoichi's scolding. Standing from the table, the blonde set down his food.

"I'm going to bed." Kakashi placed hand on the blonde's shoulder as he walked past by him. Naruto looked his older brother in the eye, meeting his concerned gaze. The blonde closed his eyes and let out a breath. Opening his eyes, he gave his sensei a faint yet reassuring smile before heading upstairs. Kakashi nodded and went out the door to comfort the troubled youth that had the misfortune of pushing one of Naruto's buttons too hard as Sakura continued to vent her frustrations with the blonde.

"Ugh! That Naruto is such a bumbling idiot! Sometimes I wish he wasn't on our team anymore!"

The next morning, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna ate at the table as Tsunami finished cooking breakfast for Inari and herself. Kakashi set down his chopsticks and let out a contented sigh as his students stared in awe. They hadn't seen him even move to remove his facemask, yet he had seemed to eat his entire breakfast in the blink of an eye. He patted his belly and flashed an eye smile at the black haired woman of the house.

"Ahh… That was absolutely delicious Tsunami-san. I'm certainly going to miss your cooking when we return home." The single mother blushed lightly at the praise and turned her attention back to her cooking. Kakashi turned to Sakura still smiling.

"Sakura-chan, could you go wake up Naruto? I think we should all be with Tazuna-san today." The pinkette's eye twitched at the mention of her knucklehead teammate. Her inner voice was raging at the thought of spending the day with Naruto complaining about how boring protecting the old bridge builder while he worked was. She smiled sweetly and batted her eyes at her sensei.

"Ano, Kakashi-sensei. Naruto trained really hard yesterday. Maybe we should let him sleep in? He knows we'll be at the bridge and he can meet up with us once he's fully rested." Kakashi rubbed his chin as he thought over the girl's words before smiling back at her.

"That's very thoughtful of you to think about your teammate's well being like that Sakura-chan. Alright, we'll let Naruto rest up and he can meet up with us later." Sakura beamed at the praise from her sensei while inside her head she was cheering boisterously.

 _'SHANNARO! I GET TO SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY WITH SASUKE-KUN WITHOUT NARUTO-BAKA BUTTING IN! TRUE LOVE CONQUERS ALL!'_ Once the genin and the bridge builder had finished their breakfast, Team 7 and their client made their way out of the front door fresh faced and ready for whatever may come their way. Or at least that's what they believed.

 _Forest Hideout_

Momochi Zabuza stretched and flexed his muscles as he paced through the bedroom of his temporary hideout which was so graciously provided to him and his partner by their benefactor, Gato. How he hated that short little fat man. He was pompous and believed himself to be better than everyone because of his illegal empire. He even dared to treat one of the Seven Swordsman like a common dog off the street. The former Kiri shinobi roared in frustration as he took a swing with his blade and crashed it down onto the bed to which he had been confined for the past week and a half, utterly decimating it with the might of his blow. He turned his attention to the door as his masked accomplice made their way into the room. Not bothering to even look at the bed, the masked figure stared at their master.

"Everything is ready, Zabuza-sama. The plan is going ahead as predicted. Are you ready?" The swordsman lifted his giant sword and placed it onto his back with a demonic gleam in his eye.

"Always." The masked figure nodded and followed their master out into the forest.

 _The Bridge, One Hour Later_

To say that things were going poorly for Team 7 would be a massive understatement. Things had gone so far up shit creek that the paddle was now an afterthought. When the group had arrived, they found many of Tazuna's workers had been killed. Blood was splattered over much of the equipment and their bodies still twitching due to the last few impulses from their fading brains. Sasuke had to maintain all of his self control not to vomit at the sight of the mangled bodies. Sakura and Tazuna were not as successful as the young Uchiha as the contents of their stomach were expelled over the side of the incomplete bridge. A waste of a perfectly delicious breakfast. Things only seemed to get worse as a thick layer of mist rolled over the bridge, obscuring any exit the team had and making escape nigh impossible. A low gruff chuckle echoed across the mist as before long, Momochi Zabuza stepped forth from the fog with his sword hung on his back. Zabuza cracked his neck as a group of **Mizu Bunshin (Water Clones)** surrounded the group. The swordsman let out another chuckle as he watched the young Uchiha dispatch the clones with an impressive display of speed.

"Heh… Looks like you might have someone to rival you, eh Kirayuki-chan?" The genin team's eyes widened as from out of the mist walked Zabuza's companion from their first encounter with the missing nin. However the boy who had 'killed' Zabuza had abandoned the uniform of a hunter nin, save for the mask, for an out fit that accentuated their lithe and very feminine body. She wore a green sleeveless turtleneck which exposed her midriff along with matching arm and leg warmers, all of which had the standard Kirigakure pinstripes as well as a pair of baggy black ninja pants.

"It would appear so Zabuza-sama." Sasuke gritted his teeth and charged at the masked girl. They clashed with their kunai and senbon, beginning a duel before being locked in a power struggle as both tried to push the other back with their weapons locked. The masked kunoichi chuckled as she began to perform a series of one-handed seals, much to the shock of all the Konoha nin. The water rose from the dissipated **Mizu Bunshin** and formed sharp needles of water.

" **Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suisho (Secret Art: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)** " The masked girl proclaimed as the water needles converged to pierce Sasuke's body. Yet the Uchiha prodigy was able to channel chakra into his legs and move with a burst of speed, narrowly avoiding his demise at the end of the girl's jutsu. He continued to pump his chakra into his legs as he kept the masked girl on her toes with agile movements and clever use of kunai to distract his opponent before landing a kick square to the girl's face. Kakashi smirked as he stared at the former Kiri nin.

"You underestimate my students Zabuza and now you're paying the price." Zabuza closed his eyes and began to chuckle. It was eery and Sakura became frightened as he began to laugh heartily. Her body shaking as the man looked to his masked partner.

"Looks like he has us beat Kirayuki-chan. I think it's time to stop toying with him." The masked kunoichi nodded in acknowledgement and began a series of hand signs as the water began to rise around her and Sasuke before crystallizing into a series of mirrors in the shape of a dome over the raven haired genin.

" **Hijutsu: Makyo Hyosho (Secret Art: Demonic Crystal Ice Mirrors)** " The masked girl moved toward the dome and shocked everyone once more by stepping into one of the mirrors. Her image appearing on all of them. Sasuke looked around himself, trying to find a way out of his situation. However before he could formulate a plan, a barrage of senbon needles began speeding out of every mirror, lacerating him where they missed and piercing him when they hit their mark. The young genin slumped down onto one knee as he began to bleed heavily and could hear his teammate desperately crying out for him to stand up and fight.

"Surrender now while you still have a chance. Our superior has ordered us not to take the life of any women or children. But if you force my hand, I will have no choice but to end you." Kakashi and the rest of his team stared at Zabuza in disbelief at the girl's words. They'd actually been ordered to not harm people? Zabuza was shaking at the girl's words, his eyes filled with rage. Tazuna decided to speak up at the enemy ninjas.

"Bullshit! Gato doesn't care about anyone but himself. Why would he order you not to harm women or children?!" A giggle erupted from the ice dome. The giggling grew into a chilling fit of laughter as the masked girl held her sides. Sakura was frozen in fear at the sound of the girl's voice.

"Gato is our current employer. He is not our superior." Zabuza was seething as he turned to the ice dome, his knuckles white as he held onto the grip of Kubikiribocho.

"No one is our superior! Get that through your head! I'm in charge! Not Gato or anybody! Certainly not that one-eyed fossil! Now kill the kid before he escapes!" Zabuza barked his orders at his subordinate causing Kakashi to move into action, leaping out to rescue his student. However he was met with a swift kick to the solar plexus from the swordsman, sending the silver haired jonin back to the ground and cracking two ribs as he fell to the ground.

"Ah ah ah, Kakashi. You aren't getting away that easily." The bandaged man smirked beneath his wrappings. Sakura stared at the dome of ice as her crush was bleeding out. She closed her eyes and mustered up all of her courage to draw a kunai and hurl it with all of her might at the ice user. Unfortunately for the pinkette, she was never the greatest with her skills in kunai and shuriken throwing. The metal knife flew through the air, only for an arm to reach out of one of the mirrors. The mood shifted as soon after the girl caught the kunai a sandaled foot connected with the girl's chest, knocking her out of the mirror and onto the hard ground of the bridge. Her body rolling for several feet from the force of the kick. Standing triumphantly as the ice mirrors shattered into snow was a certain orange clad blonde, a determined grin plastered on his face.

"Have no fear! Naruto is here to save the day!" He held up a pair of kunai and produced two dozen Kage Bunshin who charged at the pair of enemy ninja. Zabuza growled as he charged forward and released a barrage of shuriken from a hip pouch, hitting their marks and dispelling several of the clones. Yet when one shuriken hit their mark, the blonde didn't dispel. Instead he began to bleed, the razor sharp disc slicing a large gash in his calf and causing him to stumble. Kakashi stood up as fast as he could and made his way towards the blonde as Zabuza pulled back his blade to strike. He reached for his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan.

However the silver haired jonin was too late. Zabuza let forth a mighty swing of his massive cleaver toward the shocked blonde. Sakura let out a shrill shriek of terror as blood flew across the bridge, splashing across her sensei's face and pooling onto the ground below. Sasuke shook in abject horror as he saw his teammate become nearly bisected by the gargantuan blade. Naruto lay on the ground with wide eyes as he shakily breathed, his eyes welling up with tears as he held onto life for as long as he could. Kakashi rushed forward and cradled his little brother's head in his lap, his own breathing becoming shaky as he desperately tried to keep his composure.

"No… No! Kami no! Naruto! Not you too! I can't lose you too!" Kakashi's vision became clouded as he held the blonde in his arms. Naruto's breathing was ragged and pained as he bled out onto the stone.

"Come on Naruto! Don't do this! You have to live!" The masked kunoichi got up from her daze and looked over the scene. She gasped as she saw the blonde.

"Zabuza-sama... what have you done?" The browless swordsman stood over the pair as he raised the massive butcher knife above his head, poised to strike.

"Dont worry Kakashi... I promise I'll end it quick. For both of of you!" As Zabuza moved to strike, all were stopped dead in their tracks as a massive burst of chakra flooded the area, dissipating a majority of the mist that the missing nin had created. A deep growling voice boomed through the open air.

"ZAABUZAA!" The former Kiri shinobi paled as he turned his head toward the source of the voice and the piercing wave of Killing Intent. The color completely left him as he and the rest of the gathered shinobi looked up to see the figure standing atop the scaffolding on the bridge. He was a tall man, nearly six feet in height. His muscles were firm and pressed tightly against the form fitting outfit that he wore. Kakashi observed that it resembled the Konoha ANBU uniform, however unlike his old uniform, this came with long sleeves that connected to a set of burnt orange forearm guards and gloves. Also like an ANBU, this man's face was covered by a mask. Yet unlike the masks that ANBU or even the young subordinate of Zabuza wore, this was a full cloth head covering which held firmly against the wearer's head similar to Kakashi's half mask, two long ribbons that held the mask on flapped in the wind behind the man. The right half of the mask was black as pitch and covered the entirety of that side of his face. The other side was a deep burnt orange with an eye hole where one deep blue eye glared daggers down at the swordsman. A crimson sword was strapped to his back and a belt which held several kunai and shuriken pouches was secured around his waist.

"Shiichigeki-taicho." Kirayuki gasped as she stared up at the man. Zabuza moved to turn and face the man, yet before anyone could even see save for Kakashi, the man had moved from his perch nearly a hundred feet up and now held the Kiri swordsman above the ground by his throat, Kabukiribocho clattering to the ground. His eye narrowed as he squeezed the man's windpipe, Zabuza gripping onto the man's arm as he began to asphyxiate.

"I gave you a simple order, Zabuza. I told you you could take any job you wished, but follow one order. And what do you do as soon as I remove the leash? You disobey me! For that, you will pay the price." Zabuza's eyes bulged as he desperately tried to suck air into his lungs. The masked kunoichi rushed to her master's defense, pulling out several senbon needles.

"Shiichigeki-taicho! I won't let you kill Zabuza-sama!" Kirayuki stopped her charge as Zabuza was thrown down to the ground at her feet. She knelt down beside her master and rubbed his back as the browless nuke nin got onto his hands and knees, choking on the sudden intake of air and desperately trying to continuously fill his lungs with the precious gasses they needed. Kakashi's eyes widened and he grabbed a kunai as the new arrival began to step towards him and his younger brother. Sasuke and Sakura also jumped into action, blocking off their comrade from the approaching man with weapons in hand. Sakura's vision was blurry as tears refused to stay within her eyes. The one eyed man held up his hand as he approached the pair.

"At ease, soldiers. I merely wish to speak with your comrade." The air was tense between the groups. The silence between them all was broken from a cry of pain from the blonde. Kakashi reluctantly nodded and the two genin let the man pass. He knelt down in the ever growing pool of blood as he looked over the boy. Kakashi looked up at the man as tears formed in his eyes.

"Can you save him?" The man identified as Shiichigeki closed his eye and let out a sigh as he shook his head.

"I am skilled at taking life, yet when it comes to giving it, I know next to nothing. I wish I had arrived sooner, then I could have prevented this from happening. Alas, twas not meant to be. Unfortunately, the child will not make it. I suggest you say your goodbyes." The man's statement broke the dam on Kakashi as tears began to flow freely from both of his eyes. The rest of Team 7 gathered around their comrade as he continued to bleed from his devastating wound.

 _'Naruto... You baka… Why did you have to go and try to be the hero!? I'm so sorry... I wasn't strong enough.'_ Sakura was on her knees with her hands on her teammate's leg. Sasuke grit his teeth as he knelt down beside the closest person he had to a friend and gripped his forehead tightly, tears desperately trying to escape. Naruto looked up at his team and smiled weakly. His voice was shaky and feeble as he strained to speak.

"Sakura-chan… I want you to know… You're a lot stronger... than you think… But you're not… as strong as you could… be... " Sakura gave her friend a faint smile through her tears and nodded. She closed her eyes and held her fist over her heart. He turned his gaze over to Sasuke as he lifted his hand from his stomach and with great effort, placed his trembling hand on the raven haired boy's shoulder. Sasuke stared into the cerulean eyes of his comrade with unstable resolve. "Sasuke… All I ever wanted… was to be… your friend…"

"You are my friend, Naruto... You're the only friend I have." Naruto smiled as he gripped his friend's shoulder weakly.

"Don't… Don't become… like him. Be happy… your friends… beat him... by not playing… by his rules." Sasuke's eyes widened with shock at his friend's words. A tear began to fall as Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand tightly. Naruto looked up at his elder brother smiling weakly.

"Aniki… I'm sorry… I couldn't save you guys… I thought… I was ready… But I wasn't… T-tell Jiji.. I forgave him… a long… time ago.. I hope… kaa-chan… and tou-san… will be happy.. to see me." Kakashi smiled mournfully as he ruffled the blonde's locks playfully.

"They'll be… just so happy to see you, Otouto." The masked man moved forward and picked up the kunai that Kakashi had set down. He solemnly placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, their blue eyes met and Naruto let out a few tears. The man's gruff voice softened as he spoke to the blonde.

"Child… What is your name?" Naruto took in a shaky breath.

"U-Uzu… maki… Naru… to." A gasp of astonishment and dismay escaped the man's lips. Kakashi looked up as he heard a second gasp from Zabuza. He saw the swordsman staring at the blonde in his lap with a horrified expression. As the wrappings around his mouth began to fall, Kakashi's sharingan permanently ingrained the memory of Zabuza mouthing two words with a look of pure anguish on his face into his mind for the rest of his days.

 _'Kushina-senpai.'_ Shiichigeki was hesitant about his next words. He let out a deep breath and looked at the boy once more.

"Tell me, Naruto-kun. What is your life's dream?" The blonde's eyes filled with tears as he responded to the man.

"To be... acknowledged... for who I am... Not… what I… am." The masked man let out a small inspired chuckle as he grabbed the boy's head and pressed his forehead to the blonde's reverently. He slipped the kunai into the boy's open jacket and positioned the tip of the knife precisely.

"Uzumaki Naruto... I acknowledge your spirit, your honor, and your sacrifice. I shall never forget your name as long as I walk this earth." Naruto smiled as the man thrust the kunai between the boy's ribs, piercing his heart. As the light began to leave the jinchuuriki's eyes, he smiled foxily and gasped his last words.

"I love… you all." With that, the blonde closed his eyes and slumped against Kakashi's lap. Sakura wailed as she collapsed into a sobbing wreck while Sasuke began to cry, everyone too heartbroken to notice his onyx colored eyes shift into a crimson and two tomoe develop on one eye. Kakashi hugged his last remaining shred of family against his body as he mourned. However their sorrow turned to shock as a girl's cry rang out across the bridge.

"ZABUZA-SAMA, NO!" The group looked up to see Kirayuki desperately trying to hold back Zabuza's arms as he tried to plunge a kunai into his diaphragm, a block of ice preventing the dagger from piercing his flesh. Kakashi's eyes widen in realization as to what was occurring.

 _'Harakiri... '_ Shiichigeki moved quickly and grabbed the bandaged man's wrist, pulling the blade away and lifting the man up by his collar as he began to cry.

"Zabuza, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" The bandaged swordsman gasped out between cries as he struggled to break free from the vice lice grip of his superior and his subordinate.

"... Senpai… He was her kid! I killed her son!" The masked man seemed saddened by the man's words. He closed his eye and regained his composure as he pulled back his fist and cracked Zabuza across the jaw with a powerful jab. The browless man stumbled back a few paces as he wiped a spattering of blood from his mouth.

"Yes you did. And you will live with that knowledge as punishment for your actions." The swordsman deflated at those words from his leader. He stared at the ground for a moment before spitting blood out onto the bridge.

"Y-yes Taicho." Shiichigeki nodded and formed a Ram seal. With a large burst of chakra, a gust of wind began to grow around the masked man and the mist around their battlefield dispersed into nothing. However a sight greeted them when the fog cleared was not something anyone of them wished to see.

"How pathetic. I thought I hired the Demon of the Bloody Mist to kill that annoying bridge builder and what did I get instead? I simpering mongrel who can't even handle killing a fucking child. I must say, I'm incredibly disappointed in you, Zabuza. I was at least hoping you'd complete the job before I killed you and kept the money for myself. I guess life isn't fair, even for me." Standing at the end of the incomplete bridge was the short balding businessman that had become the de facto dictator of Nami no Kuni. He smiled smugly as he stood before a gathered group of thugs, bandits, ronin, and missing nin numbering nearly 200 strong. Beside him were his two bodyguard samurai, smiling just as self-satisfactorily. Shiichigeki didn't seem to pay the mob any mind as he knelt down and picked up Zabuza's curved kunai. He examined it intently as he stood up and responded to the short man pointedly.

"A mongrel has more value in this world than a slithering pustule secretion like you, Gato." The balding business mogul clenched his teeth and a vein rose on the side of his forehead as his face turned red. He pointed his cane wrathfully at the armored man.

"What did you just say to me!?" The masked man turned his head and glared daggers at the minuscule mogul as he slowly shifted his position, walking toward the assembled group of hired muscle.

"My apologies, I was under the assumption that you had become a millionaire due some modicum of intellect. I'll be sure to use small words so you'll be able to understand, you warthog faced buffoon! Today, all that you've built will come crumbling down. You call Zabuza a mongrel, but you have enraged an even greater beast. You and your band of mindless jackals best be prepared. For you've just unleashed a purebred dog of WAR!" Sweat began to accumulate on the diminutive man's brow and he began to feel his collar heat up. This man was projecting an aura of hate aimed directly at him and he did not like it one bit. Gato stepped back and got behind his bodyguards.

"M-my ass! You're nobody! Zori! Waraji! Put this 'dog of war' down and then kill the rest of the shinobi trash." The two samurai began to chuckle as they started to walk forward in front of the mass of hired goons.

"You got it boss." The pair gripped their swords tightly as they rushed forward, ready to strike the man down. The masked man tensed before lunging forward and moving at high speed with Kakashi's kunai in one hand and Zabuza's in the other. The two samurai smirked as they rushed the man. As the three men crossed paths, the samurai unsheathed their swords in a shocking display of speed and precision to strike the newcomer down with one fatal sword strike. Gato smirked as the three stopped moving. His smile faded as blood sprayed from the samurai's necks and his two most faithful bodyguards fell to the ground, a macabre gurgling was the only noise that either one of them could make as their throat and lungs filled with blood before darkness took them. The smuggler paled and he shakily moved into the mass of hired thugs as he pointed at the man who killed his best men.

"K-K-KILL HIM! WHO EVER BRINGS ME HIS HEAD GETS TO HAVE THE BRIDGE BUILDER'S DAUGHTER!" Tazuna's eyes widened and he shook with anger at the slimy tyrant's exclamation. The crowd of hired thugs let out cheers and several shouted about their plans for the black haired beauty. However the masked warrior seemed to be unfazed by the wave of malicious intent radiating off of the criminals. Shiichigeki placed Kakashi's kunai in one of his belt pouches before forming the Tiger seal. He closed his eye, channeling chakra through his body and whispering to himself as the mob charged full force.

" **Juryoku Fujin: Kai (Gravity Seal: Release)** " The cycloptic warrior reached over his shoulder and gripped the blade on his back. His eye narrowed as he tensed and moved faster than the bandits could see, nearly disappearing as he ran forward with his blade drawn. Before anyone could react, three of the would be assassins collapsed as their heads were liberated from their bodies with one mighty sword swing. Blood sprayed like a fountain onto the armored assailant as he moved and began to cut down his opponents. The bandits thrust their weapons and slashed at him with their swords. Yet despite their efforts he seemed to be able to deftly dodge their assaults and retaliate with merciless ferocity. A ronin thrust his naginata out at the one eyed man, yet was horrified as he impaled one of his friends due to a **Kawarimi (Body Replacement)** and the masked man leapt into the air, breathing in deeply as he performed a series of hand seals before exclaiming in a booming voice.

" **Futon: Tajuu Kuudan! (Wind Release: Multi Air Bullets)** " A stream of concentrated air bullets rained down from the sky, bombarding the amassed assassins before exploding upon impact with whatever surface they hit. When the bullets detonated, a great expulsion of wind chakra burst forth in all directions, lacerating many and pushing several groups of bandits hurtling off of the sides of the bridge down to their watery graves. Shiichigeki landed and looked around the carnage as the remaining thugs readied their weapons in desperate terror. Blood and limbs riddled the ground around them as only about 75 of the original 200 were left standing, the rest were either dead or crying out in agony as they bled out on the cold stone. The masked combatant charged with a furious determination in his eye as he slashed and thrust the strange looking crimson blade and within two minutes, he had cut down the last of the would be assassins.

Gato was thoroughly and quite literally scared shitless, if the smell radiating off of the squat businessman was anything to go by as he desperately crawled toward the gangplank of the ship he and his crew had used to get to the bridge. His progress was impeded as a kunai found its mark in his calf, piercing clean through the muscle and protruding from the other side of his leg. He cried out in anguish as he rolled over and clutched his leg. His eyes widened with dread as he stared up at the monster who had decimated his entire army of hired muscle with ease. Tears fell from his eyes as he desperately pleaded for his pathetic life.

"PLEASE! DON'T KILL ME! I HAVE MILLIONS! I'LL GIVE YOU AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU WANT! WORK FOR ME! I'LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT! MONEY! DRUGS! WOMEN! NAME IT AND IT'S YOURS! JUST DON'T -ACK!" Gato was cut off from his pathetic appeals to the masked man by a swift boot to the sternum. Shiichigeki stared down at him with cold blue eyes that seemed to chill Gato's blood.

"Gato… You've used your power to enslave the people of this land, deplete it of its resources, and killed all who oppose your will. To the people of this country you are monster. A fiend of insurmountable power who kills, rapes, and pillages at his discretion... To me you're somewhere between a cockroach and that white stuff that accumulates at the corner of your mouth when you're really thirsty… Rot in hell." With a swift stroke of his sword, the cycloptic man liberated the business mogul and tyrant of Nami no Kuni of his head. Grabbing the head, he sealed it into a storage scroll before making his way back towards the group of stupefied Konoha ninja. This unknown man had come in and decimated a force that would take several chunin to defeat by himself in less than five minutes using only his blade and two jutsu. Sasuke was shaking with a combination of fear and rage.

 _'So much power… I need to become stronger!'_ The masked man knelt down beside Kakashi and produced a black scroll from one of his pouches and handed it to the silver haired jonin who recognized it immediately. It was a special sealing scroll meant to preserve a corpse in stasis for long distance transport. He'd used similar scrolls to transport fallen comrades on dangerous missions during his time in the ANBU Black Ops. Now he would have to use one to carry his little brother back home. The two nodded in acknowledgement before the one eyed man stood and walked over to his comrades.

"Zabuza. Kirayuki. Our work here is over. Your mission was a failure. We return to base now. We'll collect whatever price is on Gato's head as compensation for our losses." The kiri nin nodded obediently.

"Hai Shiichigeki-taicho." Water and ice swirled around the pair respectively as they disappeared in their respective **Shunshin (Body Flicker)** before the masked man followed in a swirl of wind. Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector and prepared Naruto's body somberly for sealing as a large group of villagers lead by Inari approached from the distance. Tazuna made sure to stand in the way of the crowd, obstructing their view just in case. His grandson didn't need to see the death of another hero of Nami no Kuni.

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 **Whoo! And there we have it folks! Chapter 6 in the bag! This one proved to be quite the challenge for me as I am mostly proficient in writing dialogue and action is not really something I've ever implemented into my stories before. I had to work really hard on getting it right and I hope it turned out well. I also really needed to think about perspective as I wrote this chapter as it's essentially a flashback from Kakashi's point of view. That's why there's a few unanswered questions like 'Why is Haku never referred to by his name?' 'How did everyone team up?' 'Is Haku actually a guy or girl in this story?' I assure you, those questions will be answered in the story.**

 **But for now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Be sure to Follow the story to join me as I write this story. Leave a review letting me know what you think, I love getting feedback and try to answer reviews as best as I can. Also check out some of my other writings if you're interested. So until next time, have a great one.**

 **~ Ninja**


	7. Unfinished Allegro

**Here we are ladies, gents, and everyone else in between! Chapter 7! I don't really have much to talk about as far as pre-chapter stuff. I went to Disneyland for the first time in 20 years and got a lot of inspiration. That place really has a way of making your imagination expand with joy. Walt was truly an inspiration for many, myself included. Anyway, what say we answer some reviews before we get into the chapter?**

 **SeaWolf90:** **Very bold of you to assume Kakashi is that good of an actor. Also thank you, I worked really hard to make Naruto's death scene heartfelt. I', also excited to see how the Konoha 12 grow due to his passing.**

 **Sceffelman:** **I know you didn't leave a review, Scheffeweizen. But you are the only person to guess what Shiichigeki means and yes that is totally what he is.**

 **Anyway... On with the show!**

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"Talking"  
 **"Bijuu  
"Talking"  
**' _Thinking'  
_ _ **'Bijuu Thinking'  
**_ _"Writing"_

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 **I do not own Naruto. Please support the official release.**

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 **Jinchuuriki Mercenary: Redux**

 **Chapter 7: Unfinished Allegro**

 _Kisaragi Village, 20 mi. South of Konohagakure_

Naruto sat on the bed of the hotel room he was staying in with his new comrades. In his hands he held the bi colored mask he'd adopted as his new 'face'. He smiled somberly at the mask as the door to the bathroom opened up and Haku stepped out. Steam flowing out of the small room as he dried his long silky hair. The blonde smiled as his hair flashed memories of a shard of volcanic glass Anko had brought back from a mission out of the country. Haku adjusted the bandages wrapped around his chest and sat down beside his new companion.

"Zabuza-sama should be back soon with the bounty for Gato. Then you face the real problem of getting back into Konoha. I must ask, why are you going back if you've gone to all the trouble of faking your death? Wouldn't you want to get as far away from the village as you can?" Naruto looked at the ice user and stood up, placing the mask on a nearby table.

"Tazuna-san lied about the mission so I wasn't expecting to run into people like you and Zabuza-san. So I only brought with me a few essentials. My swords, the scrolls from my parents, my uniform, and 50,000 ryo which is now Zabuza's. As for wanting to stay away from Konoha… You remember what you asked me that day in the forest, Haku-kun?" The black haired boy nodded as he listened intently.

"I have several precious people back in Konoha. I'm doing all of this so that I can be strong enough to protect those I love. Hopefully one day they can forgive me." Haku smiled at his new companion's response. He had grown fond of the blonde since their first meeting. Haku had a natural insight into the nature of individuals and he could tell when he first met Naruto that he had the same eyes that Zabuza and himself. Eyes that had known a life of suffering and had grown strong. Yet there was also a great passion and exuberant kindness in his eyes that Haku had only seen a smolder of in his master's eyes. The ice user placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and smiled warmly.

"If they care for you as much as you care for them, then I'm sure they will welcome you back with open arms." Naruto nodded and got changed into a set of common street clothes and a straw hat. He used a **Henge** to disguise himself as a brunette with green eyes before heading out of the room to give Haku some privacy. In the hall he passed a tall man in merchant garb who slipped a note and a small stack of bills into his pocket as they passed. As Naruto rounded the corner in the hallway toward the stairs he heard a feminine scream and a blast of cold air came down the hallway. The blonde let out a chuckle as he pulled out the note and read it as he stepped into the street.

" _The bounty station was right where you said it was. The bounty master, Zangei gave me 50,000 for Gato's head. Apparently his competition wanted the little shit alive. Can't say I blame them. Pompous midget would make anybody wanna torture him first. You have three days and 1,000 ryo to yourself until we head out for Umi no Kuni. Be here or we leave without you, gaki."_ The blonde used some wind chakra to shred the note into tiny pieces that soon resembled confetti which blew into the night wind. The bits of paper sailed through the breeze and into the face of a tall, well-built man. He was dressed as if he were a kabuki performer, complete with long wild white hair and two red lines running down his cheeks. Naruto noticed he wore a horned hitai-ate with the kanji for 'Oil' inscribed on the plate. He grumbled as he brushed the paper out of his face as he looked down at the young man.

"Watch where you throw your trash, kid. Littering is a nasty habit to get into." The man looked over the boy before moving past him and walking into a large two story building with a sign above the door depicting a beautiful woman which read " _The Velvet Lotus"_ with a broad grin and a perverse giggle. The jinchuuriki was quick dismiss the man before his tenant grabbed his attention.

' _ **Naruto! That man just now! I would know him anywhere! 'Twas Jiraiya, the Toad Sage! He is one of the Sannin and was your father's teacher!'**_ Naruto's eyes widened as he looked back at the man as he entered the obvious brothel. That man trained his father? It seemed an almost preposterous notion, however one of the first lessons that Naruto had been taught by his brother was that a shinobi hides their true strength until it is necessary. He slipped into an alleyway and got into a thinking pose.

' _What should we do about him? He must be heading back to Konoha for a mission report. If we head there now, he'll see through our disguise. We don't need our cover blown so soon after we managed to leave.'_ Naruto pondered his situation deeply, paying little attention to anything else. However, strategizing how to out maneuver a sanin was proving a nearly herculean task. As soon as Naruto thought of a strategy, he almost immediately found an exploitable flaw. Kakashi had trained him to think tactically, yet he was nowhere near as good at formulating plans as his older brother. He heard a soft chuckling in the back of his mind and smirked.

' _I assumed you have an idea, Kyuubi-sensei?'_

' _ **Indeed I do. As avoiding him t'would be nearly impossible if you left in the morning and, given his quite remarkable perception and insight, would notice you should you encounter each other within the village. Perhaps t'would be in your best interest if you imbalance his mental state.'**_ The bijuu's sultry voice echoed through his mind as it teased at a brilliant a devilish plan.

' _And how would you suggest we do that?'_ Naruto sat and stared at the wall as he listened to his tenant and teacher describe their plan. He was so intent that he barely noticed a few people leaving spare change beside him as they walked past the alley.

' _ **Why 'tis quite simple, my dear student. By introducing him to the man who ended the life of his most prized student's son.'**_ A smirk reminiscent of his tenant's grew across the jinchuuriki's face as he was shown flashes of images describing his sensei's plan. It was truly a plan worthy of a Kitsune. Naruto picked up the loose change and made his way into town for some late night shopping. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting, should his plans unfold right.

 _Shinobi Council Room, Hokage Tower, Midnight_

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a breath he had been holding for some time as Kakashi finished his report. He looked around the room at the gathered assembly. In the corner of the dark councilroom was Ibiki and a few members of his interrogation crew, including his second in command, who the elderly Kage could see was futilely trying to keep her composure as tear fell from her eyes. They were there to oversee the report/testimony of Kakashi and restrain him in case something went awry. Beside him as always were his trio of advisors, his teammates and Danzo, who looked sternly at the silver haired jonin.

"And that is all? You did not pursue your enemies?" Homura inquired, an air of slight contempt in his voice. Kakashi looked up at the elder with a sullen expression as he knelt on the ground. He had been put in chakra cuffs in preparation for his 'report', thought everyone knew this was more of a court-martial than a detailed mission report. He shook his head as he looked back down at the ground.

"No. Without an employer, they no longer had a conflict with us and they became non-threats. We finished the mission as fast as possible and returned home after that with no delays or further encounters with enemies of any sort. Tazuna even received a drop package on his doorstep containing all of Gato's deeds to properties in his Sector." Danzo glared at the man with one visible eye as he clenched his fist. Several of his plans had gone down the drain with the death of the village's weapon and it was all due to the actions of another incompetent Hatake.

"A parting gift no doubt from this Shiichigeki. This man who calls himself the Death Stroke" Koharu replied derisively as she smirked at the young man shackled before them. Kakashi may have been a favorite of the Yondaime, and a valuable member of the ANBU after the Third War. But since he became a guardian of the jinchuuriki, he had become lazy and far too aloof for any of the elders' liking, Danzo especially. The bandaged councilman narrowed his gaze before he spoke up.

"It would seem that you inherited your father's ineptitude and lack of duty as well as his skill, Hatake. And you say these obviously dangerous and highly skilled shinobi as non-threats? After they humiliated one of this village's elite jonin and destroyed potentially our greatest weapon? How disappointing." Before any of the elders could continue their scolding, an overwhelming presence enveloped the entire room. The jonin in the room all fell to their knees as it became difficult to breath, an enormous weight pressing down on all of them and even bits of masonry began to crack. The elders all looked over to their leader as an aura of chakra became visible and he seemed to have a blue glow about him. Flashes of Senju Tobirama came flooding into their minds as their former teammate slowly turned his head toward his bandaged rival with a vengeful glare.

"All of you will cease speaking for the remainder of this hearing… and Danzo… A sword was not destroyed during this mission, but a child was killed. The child of a dear friend and someone that I loved as much as my own family. Naruto-kun was a hero to this village since the day he was born and I would have gladly handed my hat to him when he reached the proper age. So if I _ever_ hear you refer to him in such a disrespectful way again, I will personally see to it that you never speak again." Danzo and the other council members nodded in submission and sat back into their chairs wearily. In his mind however the old warhawk was seething with contemptuous ferocity at his rival.

' _You show your power only to throw spite at your betters! I wouldn't have let our great weapon fall so easily. If I had been Hokage, the jinchuuriki would have been trained, disciplined and Konoha would be feared for our might. You truly are a weak old fool, Hiruzen.'_ After nearly a minute, the pressure in the room lessened. However some still where suffering residual side effects from the exposure to such a presence as Ibiki noted Izumo and Kotetsu both had collapsed into unconsciousness white other subordinates of his where throwing up in a nearby trash bin. The scarred interrogator was even sweating profusely. He stood at attention when he heard his name called by the village leader.

"Ibiki-san, come forward. Genma-kun, summon Team Ro. I want them here immediately." The head of interrogation watched as the Hokage bodyguard put the senbon needle he was chewing away and shunshining away. As Ibiki made it to Kakashi's side, six puffs of smoke appeared on the other side of the silver haired man and standing before the Hokage were Genma returned with the remaining members of Team Ro. The ANBU squad gasped at the sight of their former leader in shackles but mostly kept their composure. The shortest member of the team looked up to the Kage and spoke out first. She was a young woman with light brown hair in a high ponytail and a cat mask.

"Forgive my ignorance, Hokage-sama. But why did you summon us, and why is Kakashi-senpai in chains?" Koharu leaned forward to chastise the young girl for her impudence when Hiruzen lifted a finger and released a fraction of the presence he had earlier. This jolt of power put her back in her seat with a meek and downtrodden expression. Sarutobi let out a sigh and looked down at the group.

"Soku, as the newest member of Team Ro, your presence is not required. Though you are welcome to stay, if you could please refrain from any further outburst." The Kage lit his pipe and continued with his explanation. "Team Ro, as the comrades that have served alongside Hatake Kakashi the longest, you have been summoned here to serve as character witnesses to his court martial regarding the death of his subordinate, Uzumaki Naruto." Team Ro released a collective gasp at the reason for their summons. Soku froze in place at the news. She stared into the distance as she tried to process what she just heard. Under her mask a single tear rolled down her cheek. The Hokage motioned for the captain of the team, Tenzo stepped forward and gave his testimony, the Hokage listening intently to what the masked individual had to say.

 _The Velvet Lotus, Morning_

A figure walked silently into one of the many rooms of the Velvet Lotus brothel and closed the door behind them before sitting down in a chair as light slowly began to filter into the room through a window. The intruder looked down on the futon at the sight of Jiraiya lying in a bed with two women, one with long black hair cut into a hime style and the other sporting a mint green bob, both visions with lithe figures and large breasts. All of them were nude, sleeping soundly with thin sheets barely covering their bodies.

After a minute, the man reached behind him and with a strong motion, wretched the curtain off of the window and onto the bed. Light flooded the room and the three in bed were startled awake. The two courtesans yelped as they saw the silhouetted figure sitting before them and clutched onto the nude sage as he glared at the intruder. The man simply sat back in a relaxed posture and spoke in a smooth, husky tone that sent a tingle up the women's spines.

"Thank you ladies. Your services here will no longer be required. Won't you be so kind to leave Jiraiya-sama and I in peace?" The two women simply nodded and wrapped themselves in the curtain before leaving the room in a hurry. The two men stared at each other in silence. Jiraiya squinting to try and see the man, though his eyesight was obscured by the bright morning sun. The toad sage tensed as he prepared himself for anything that may come, eyeing his clothes which were bundle beside the figure's chair.

"At ease Jiraiya-san. If I were here to kill you, I would have done so while you slept. No, I'm merely here to talk." the white haired sanin stared at the man as he sat up on the mattress, little concern for his state of undress. When faced with an unknown and potentially hostile presence, one has little concern for things like modesty. Jiraiya scoffed as he adjusted himself.

"Look buddy. If you wanted an autograph that badly, you just could have asked me on the street." A snicker came from the mysterious man as he continued to sit in his chair. Although he couldn't see the man's face, Jiraiya could feel the man was not smiling despite his chuckle and was instead glaring at him unnervingly.

"Always the joker, Jiraiya-san. 'Tis refreshing to see you haven't lost your sense of humor. But no, I'm not here to speak to you about anything pleasant. In fact, my purpose here today is one of great sorrow. I've come to speak to you about the child of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, Naruto-kun." The toad sage's eyes widened at the mention of his student and his godson. He stood up and glared back at the man who seemed to have knowledge he shouldn't have.

"How do you know about that? It's an S-Class secret." The intruder moved slightly giving the sanin a glimpse at the man's hair and realizing it was in fact snow white and not simply the glare of the rising sun.

"A terribly kept one. Hokage-sama didn't even bother to hide his parentage well. Uzumaki Naruto? Anyone who fought in the Third War would remember Konoha's Red Death, and the spiky blonde hair? There was no denying his resemblance Namikaze Minato. Even one as boorish as Zabuza-kun put the pieces together." Jiraiya clenched his fist as he heard the man speak. His mind was reeling from the information. Gritting his teeth, he mentally chastised his sensei for not protecting the boy's identity properly. But who was this mysterious stranger and how did he know all of this information. His familiar attitude towards one of the Seven Swordsmen was also unnerving.

"What is your interest in the boy?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed at the mysterious man. The figure seemed to deflate slightly at the subject of his visit.

"My interest in the boy is great. However I regret to inform you that Uzumaki Naruto is dead." The white haired sage punched the wall of the room. His eyes burned with fury as the man before him so casually revealed to him his reason for coming.

"You're lying!" It was the man's turn to stand up indignantly as he returned the glare back at the sanin. His own presence pushing back against the sanin's.

"I would not lie about something so grievous, Jiraiya-san! If you don't believe me, why don't we ask Hokage-sama together?" Jiraiya smirked at the man as he relaxed and slowly began to step forward.

"We will and then we'll see how truthful you really are. But first I'd like to know the name and face of my travelling companion."

 _Hokage's Office_

The elderly Kage walked into the office as the sun rose over the horizon. As he watched the sunrise on his balcony, he felt a presence behind him. He didn't need to turn as an ANBU wearing a Dragon mask and a white cloak walked up beside him. Dragon stared out over the village with Hiruzen as he awaited his orders.

"Dragon, bring Team 7 to my office. Then have Teams Ro and Shu assemble the rest of the rookie teams and the owners of Ichiraku Ramen assemble in the Council Room. It's time they learned the truth." Dragon nodded silently and disappeared in a smokeless **Shunshin** as Hiruzen placed his hat atop his balding head. He stepped into his office and waited at his desk. In half an hour, Sakura and Sasuke walked into his office. Sasuke looked to be his usual stoic self, however Sakura looked terrible. She had large bags under her eyes which had become red from crying. Both looked to be disheveled as if they had just been woken up or hadn't slept in the first place. They bowed respectfully to their leader before he spoke up.

"Hello, I know that the last mission dealt a heavy blow to you. It's dealt a heavy blow to us all, I assure you. However, we must move forward, as is the way of the shinobi. However a change must be made to Team 7. Kakashi proved himself incapable in your mission and thus has been removed from his position as your jonin sensei." The two genin looked shocked as they listened to the Hokage. Hiruzen motioned to the door behind them as it opened and in stepped a man with short brown hair and large dark almond shaped eyes. His face was framed by a happuri-style hitai-ate. He wore the standard jonin uniform and walked in, bowing respectfully.

"Hello, my name is Yamato. I'll be your jonin sensei from now on. I hope to get to know you well in the future." Sakura bowed respectfully as Sasuke gave a grunt of acknowledgement before turning back to the Hokage. He could see the question lingering the the young genin's eyes as he stood up.

"Kakashi has received a punishment for his inability to keep his comrades safe. However he will be present for your training, but merely on an advisory level at Yamato-san's discretion." Sakura let out a dejected sigh as she thought about how things had gone so wrong in the past several days. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek and fell to the ground.

' _Why did I have to be so selfish? I should have woken up Naruto like Kakashi-sensei asked me to. He'd be with us then… If I had just… He wouldn't be… '_ Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts as Hiruzen stood from his chair. He set his pipe down and moved out from behind the desk. He placed his hands on Sakura and Sasuke's shoulders as he smiled down at them solemnly.

"Come with me. We have only one more sad task ahead of us before we can move forward." The genin nodded as they and their new sensei followed the Kage out of his office.

 _Hyuuga Compound Dojo_

Hyuuga Hiashi sat stoically with the rest of the Hyuuga Clan elders. All sat stone faced as they watched Hinata and Hanabi enter into the dojo. Both wearing the standard Hyuuga clan training gear. Hiashi stood up and walked toward the center of the fighting mat where his daughters got into their fighting stances, Byakugans activated. Hiashi closed his eyes and lifted his hand as he prepared to declare the match that would decide the appointment of the clan heiress. As he started to bring his hand down, signalling the start of the match, the door to the dojo opened and a woman from the Branch house rushed in. Hanabi recognized her as her caretaker, Natsu. She rushed onto her knees and bowed deeply with her head against the floor.

"A thousand pardons for the intrusion Hiashi-sama. But there is a visitor from the ANBU who demands an audience. I told him you were handling official clan business but he said it was urgent." The short haired Branch member looked up at the clan head pleadingly as he stared down expressionless and cold. He lowered his hand slowly and nodded, the Branch woman bowed once more before before leaving. Once the door closed behind her, it opened once more to reveal Dragon. He walked into the dojo and gave a small bow.

"Pardon the intrusion, Hyuuga-dono. But my business is quite urgent." The Hyuuga clan head's eye twitched slightly at being referred to in such a disrespectful manner. However he recognized the masked man immediately and thus let the slight go almost immediately.

"Commander Dragon. I'm quite busy at the moment. What urgent business do you have with me?" Hiashi always despised dealing with the ANBU, they all wore masks with special seals engraved on the inside that prevented even the Byakugan from discerning their identities. The ANBU Commander didn't even bother looking directly at Hiashi as he replied dryly.

"None." A vein bulged on the clan head's temple bulged as the ABNU continued to act elusive. Hiashi prided himself at being able to read his opponents with a glance, even the ANBU hand tells with their body language. But with Dragon, he could never get a thing.

"Then why, pray tell, have you interrupted imperative clan affairs if your reason for coming is not urgent?" Dragon stepped further into the room towards the two daughters who were watching the exchange in confusion. Both looked at the masked and cloaked figure with apprehension.

"You misunderstand Hiashi-dono. My business is indeed urgent. But my business is not with _you_ , but with Hinata-chan." The bluenette girl's eyes widened as she heard her name called out. She looked to her father and back to the ANBU with a nervous look on her face as she pondered what she had done to warrant a member of the Black Ops to have business with her.

"What business do you have with my daughter?" Hiashi asked, getting frustrated by the ANBU's vagueness.

"Her presence is required at the Hokage Tower." Hiashi let out an indignant breath through his nose before turning his back to the Commander.

"Tsk… She will be along as soon as the affairs of our clan have concluded." Hiashi could feel the glare digging into the back of his head. He turned to stare at the man who simply stared back at him through pitch black eye holes.

"By order of the Hokage, Hyuuga Hinata is to come to the Hokage Tower… _immediately_. Should you wish to accompany her, I will not stop you, however my orders were absolute." His tone had grown cold and demanded no argument. Hiashi closed his eyes and stood tall. He couldn't contend with orders directly from the Hokage. To do so would bring shame upon the entire Hyuuga Clan and then they would be no better than the Uchiha before their demise. Mistrusted and always given a sideways glance.

"Come Hinata, let us see what Hokage-sama needs of you." The Genin nodded and followed her father as he moved out of the dojo and towards the Tower.

 _Shinobi Council Room_

Hiashi and Hinata walked through the halls of the Hokage Tower before coming to the Council Room where there was a significant amount of people gathered outside the double doors. Hinata saw her sensei, Kiba and his family, Shino and his father, Team 10 with their fathers and sensei, as well as Teuchi and Ayame from Ichiraku Ramen. All of them were talking in confusion as to their collective summons from the Hokage. Several theories bounced around the adults and the elder Ino-Shika-Cho Trio mentioned something called the Chunin Exams.

The mood changed as the doors opened and they were greeted by the sight of the Hokage talking to Team 7. However Naruto seemed to be nowhere in sight, there was an odd man in a jonin uniform and Kakashi was wearing a chunin vest. The adults gasped in dismay as Kakashi turned to the group, revealing a large eyepathe over his left eye with a red kanji for 'Seal' stamped on it. The Hokage looked at the group and motioned them in as Kiba made a motion to speak, Hiruzen held up his hand, silencing the boy.

"My apologies for summoning you all so early. But I believed you deserve to know the news before I announce it to the rest of the village. But before I tell you I must say something before hand. What do you know of the events that took place the night of October 10th fifteen years ago?" The genin watched as their parent's eyes widened in a mix of shock, confusion and apprehension. He was really going to reveal to a bunch of genin an S-Class secret that he himself implemented. Something must have happened and the adults were nervous to find out. Hinata was shocked to see her own father, who was usually cold and stone faced, show genuine signs of unease. Ino raised her hand to speak.

"That was the night that the Kyuubi attacked the village. A large number of people died to fight the beast, but the Yondaime managed to kill it at the cost of his life. He saved us all that night." Ino felt her father's hand on her shoulder and looked up to see hims smiled down at her with a slightly sad look on her face. The Hokage smiled back and everyone could feel the tension in the air as he began to speak once more.

"You listened to your history lessons well in the Academy, Ino-chan. However what you have been taught was only mostly true. Many lost their lives that night, many lost those they loved, and the Yondaime did save our lives at the expense of his own in order to defeat the Kyuubi. However, a bijuu cannot be killed. It is simply an impossible task as they are creatures of pure chakra. Should a bijuu's body be destroyed their chakra will simply recoalesce in a few years time. The Yondaime knew this and did the only thing he could to save the village he called home. He used a forbidden fuinjutsu to seal the beast into a newborn infant." The genin all gasped at the revelation that not only had they been lied to their entire lives, but that the great beast that nearly destroyed the village wasn't dead.

"You may wonder why no one ever told this to you. The Yondaime had wished that the child be seen as a hero. However the hatred that the villagers held toward the bijuu was far too great and many wished for the baby, not a day after taking its first breaths, be put to death. So to help them have a somewhat normal life, I made it a law, that no one was to speak of the true events of that night to any of the younger generation." The genin all looked at each other somberly as they thought of what kind of life it must be like to have a village want you dead from the day you were born. It was after a few moments that Shikamaru looked up at the Hokage.

"It was Naruto wasn't it? The baby that the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into." The other genin and Ayame looked at the young genius in shock as they heard his statement. They thought of their experiences with the blonde prankster and began putting the pieces together and realizing he was right. Hiruzen nodded and smiled at the young boy's keen mind.

"You're quite astute Shikamaru-kun. There's another secret to tell you all. However before I continue, I have to ask you. Knowing what you now know… Has your opinion of Naruto changed after learning about the Kyuubi?" The Hokage looked around the room as the group pondered the question. However Kiba growled in annoyance at everyone's silence before raising his fist toward the old man.

"What are you talking about?! Naruto is a knucklehead and a loudmouth! He's one of us!" Akamaru yipped in agreement, the other's began to smile as they thought about their blonde friend and began to join in with their own words of acknowledgement.

"He's a great kid. I've been serving him ramen since he was little."

"N-Naruto-kun's not a demon! He's our friend!" Hiashi looked down and gave his daughter a smile. He may have had a cold and aggressive exterior. But he truly cared for his family, and it warmed his heart to see Hinata defend her crush and inspiration with such passion.

"I'm happy to hear that. Now there's one more secret I must tell you before I explain why I summoned you all here, this secret is one I have kept from everyone in the village save for a select few. Even your parents have not been told. The Yondaime didn't just choose a random baby to suffer this cruel fate. It is the duty of the Hokage to make incredibly difficult decisions, sometimes making the greatest of sacrifices. And so Minato-kun sealed the demon into the baby of Uzumaki Kushina, one of Konoha's elite jonin, and his beloved wife." Everyone, with the exception of Kakashi, Teuchi,and Shikaku gasped in shock. The revelation was almost too much to process to many of them. Naruto was the son of the Yondaime and one of Konoha's most famous kunoichi's and yet most of the village treated him as if he didn't even exist. It made many of the group sick to their stomachs at the thought. However the two Nara's were the first to recover as their minds went elsewhere before their thoughts were vocalized together.

"Hokage-sama… Why are you telling us all of this? What's happened to Naruto?" A silence consumed the room. The only thing that anyone could hear was the beating of their hearts, which boomed in their ears like timpani drums. Dread filled their hearts as they looked over to Team 7 and saw them all holding back tears. Hiruzen broke the silence after what felt to everyone like an eternity.

"Team 7 was sent on a routine C-Rank escort and protection mission. However the client withheld information due to lack of finances. It was soon discovered that the mission should have been classified as a much higher rank when the team encountered Momochi Zabuza, an A-Rank nuke-nin from Kirigakure and former member of the Seven Swordsmen. Kakashi was able to defeat him in their initial encounter, however he was rescued and recovered from his injuries faster than Kakashi. Naruto… did not survive the second encounter with Zabuza and his comrades." Hinata's eyes became wide in utter shock as a profound pain pierced through her chest. Without warning the young Hyuuga collapsed onto the ground sobbing. Her father and sensei rushing to her. Hiashi held the his daughter tightly in as arms as tears flowed freely from her lavender eyes. A new voice echoed in the empty chamber taking several away from their grieving.

"You bastard, sensei! I trusted you to keep him safe!" Standing in the double doorway was Jiraiya. He had eyes filled with tears of rage and heartache as he stared down his sensei, who seemed shocked that he was even there.

"Jiraiya-kun? I wanted to tell you myself. I was just about to send for you. When did you get back?" The toad sage's knuckles were white as he wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to show everyone that he was not in fact alone as a figure walked in behind him.

"He told me…" The figure stepped into the light of the room and revealed themselves. He was a tall, athletically built man in a black suit with a charcoal grey shirt. He han a tanned, handsome face with chiselled features and deep liknes that ran under his eyes. His short, spiked hair was snowy white and he sported a goatee similar to the Hokage's. Though the most striking feature of the mystery man was the eyepatch he wore over his right eye. Kakashi looked at the man through cloudy eyes and spoke the first word that came to his mind.

"T-Tou-san?!" The gathered adults couldn't help but mentally remark on the man's great resemblance to Hatake Sakumo now that it was stated. The new arrival let out an amused chuckle as he walked up beside the sanin.

"I'm deeply honored by the comparison Kakashi-kun, especially coming from you. However, no, I am not the White Fang." As the gruff baritone voice of the eyepatched man reached the recently demoted chunin's ears, his eyes grew to the size of tea saucers before filling with absolute fury. The jonin and Hokage all gasped as Kakashi performed the Ox, Rabit, and Monkey seals before charging forward towards the eye patched man.

"YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE! I'LL KILL YOU YOU BASTARD!" As Kakashi ran forward at high speed, his right hand glowing and sparkling with immense chakra which surrounded his hand and crackled to life as lightning encased it and a sound like a thousand chirping birds filled the council room. Yamato's hands moved at blinding speed before he ended in the Snake seal

" **Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu! (Wood Release: Wood Smothering Binding)** Kakashi-senpai, what on earth are you doing?!" As he held the hand seal in place, several beams of wood began to grow out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Kakashi who struggled with all his might and was making progress in cutting through the wood with his lightning before his chakra began to be suppressed by the wood user. Kakashi continued to thrash as he stared down the one eyed man.

"LET ME GO, YAMATO! I RECOGNIZE THAT VOICE ANYWHERE! IT'S SHIICHIGEKI! THAT'S THE SON OF A BITCH WHO KILLED NARUTO!"

* * *

 **Whoo! Yeah! Cliffhanger no Jutsu! This chapter was super interesting to write and I actually am currently writing the next chapter while I'm publishing this one as I was meaning to get to pack everything into one chapter, however I like to keep my chapters relatively at 5,000 words minus the Author's Notes to keep things concise... and this one broke 6,00 before I realized it. So it's definitely going to be a two-parter. So next chapter may come out sooner than expected.**

 **That being said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review letting me know what you thought, I love getting feedback and I do try to get back to everyone that I can respond to. Also if you just discovered this story and are binging it, be sure to Follow the story so you can keep up with it. I look forward to seeing you all next chapter.**

 **~ Ninja**


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